Queens of the Diamond

The Valley Stream Demons girls’ softball team won first place in Town of Brookhaven Summer Tournament, finishing with a 12-3 record. The Demons had six shutouts, scored 101 runs — ranking them second — and allowed just 33 runs on the season, the fewest of any team.

Back in 2006, a group of softball-loving teen girls came together to form the travel team. Many had played together with the Valley Stream Little League since they were 5 or 6 years old. Under the guidance of coaches Danny Tkacsik, Joe McConville, Nate Liebowitz and Marty Gofberg, who worked them hard for years throughout the many winter trainings and during the spring and fall seasons, the Demons have put together several successful seasons.

The Demons finished second in the Little League District 29 Tournament in 2006. The following year also included many second-place finishes including their fall season, the Central Nassau Tournament, and the Floral Park Bobby Reagan Tournament. In 2008, the Demons became the “Dream Team” for their coaches, parents and fans with with 56 wins to only five losses.

That year, the girls went undefeated in their Little League Junior division for both the spring and fall seasons, and took first-place in the Floral Park Bob Reagan Tournament, and second-place against more experienced Northeast Regional fastpitch travel ball teams in the Hartsdale, N.Y. Tournament. Their greatest triumph was winning in commanding fashion the Little League District 29 Championship at Pistillo Field in Franklin Square to a standing-room only crowd.

In 2009, there was no senior division in Little League for the Demons to play in Nassau County in the 16 and under age bracket, so it entered the Brookhaven tournament, playing several teams from Suffolk County.