Winfield Glory go 13-1

Above the crack of bats and shouts of encouragement, you can always make out their loud and proud battle cry "Glory, Glory, Halleluiah!"

The Winfield Glory softball team overcame the Batavia Bulldogs Saturday with a 3-2 victory over the only team to tarnish an almost-perfect 13-1 season. the win puts the Glory in first place and gives the team a home-field advantage in the playoffs. This season has consisted of some nail biting, yet glorious victories. The Winfield Glory has proved that they are a force to be reckoned with.

The players on this 9- and 10- year-old team in the minor league division of the Quad City League have all come a long way along the journey. Much of the girls' growth and strength come from coach Chuck Zydek. Zydek has been a coach for 6 years, and his dedication and encouragement paid off when the girls broke his all-time coaching record of 10 consecutive wins.

"The girls have already surpassed all of my expectations for the season. The improvement from the first practice until now has been just incredible and extremely rewarding to see as a coach. These girls are not only good softball players, more importantly they are great kids," Zydek said.

The Winfield Glory team has an enthusiasm and sports ethic that is intoxicating and addictive to all spectators - each and every player contributes to Glory's success.

The team celebrated Saturday's victory with a picnic courtesy of Corporate Tailgate.

Playoffs begin this week. The Winfield Glory includes Daisy Aburto, Shea Brown, Alex Bucaro, Erin Coady, Morgan Currigan, Lea Kerstein, Michaela McClain, Marissa Pellicane, Elisabeth Reuter, Hailey Sartore, Lauren Von Bampus and Bailey Zydek.

Assistant coaches are Ron Kerstein, Shirley Kerstein, Rick Reuter and Scott McClain

This article was submitted by Laura Pellicane, whose daughter is on the team.