TOMS RIVER – Even in defeat, the Toms River Little League 12U All-Stars were hailed as heroines.
Sirens from Toms River police cars pierced the air. Led by one of five cars, a chartered bus pulled into a parking lot. Police and fans applauded the team as it exited the bus. Approximately 50 fans hugged and kissed team members.
Fans carried signs. One sign said, “Welcome Home LLSWS Champs. We are so proud. We’r TR!!!” Some players received flowers from admirers.
The team was honored with a Welcome Home Celebration at the Toms River Little League Complex after placing fourth at the double elimination Little League Softball World Series at Stallings Stadium in Elm Street Park in Greenville, N.C.
“Well deserved,” Stephanie Curley, the mother of player Analeise Curley, said firmly in a burst of Toms River Little League 12U All-Stars Pride. “We should make a big entrance. We’re the fourth best team in the world – and I think we deserved it!”
Toms River was eliminated with a loss in the semifinals on August 8. The celebration took place two days later.
“There are 24,000 of these teams in the world,” manager Neal Gay said. “Not too shabby.”
“I am still heartbroken. We had our chances and we did not do it. We are TR. NJ all the way. This is kind of awesome. We will all be connected forever. I love all 12 players. I coached 10 of them all year round. The kids truly love each other,” he said.
Angelica Gay, Gay’s wife, attended each Series game. She kissed her husband seconds after the team exited the bus. Toms River went 3-3. The Gay’s children, Leiana and Aviana Gay, were team members.
“I felt nervous and was excited and nervous at the same time,” Angelica Gay said. “After we lost our first game (to Japan) we found our groove. It was an incredible experience. I’m sad it’s over. It was a long stretch. I guess we will go to the beach for the next two months.
“The team trained for it every weekend during the fall and the spring for the last two years for this journey. You don’t get this far with just luck. Neal did a really good job of recognizing the strong points and weak points of the girls. Aviana caught every game that Jaylen (Brown) pitched. Jaylen kept composed and was strong. She got the outs we really needed. Aviana has caught Jaylen since they were on our eight and under team. They have a really good chemistry together.”
Teams stayed in dorms at East Carolina University. Each Series player received a medal during the opening ceremonies. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were served buffet style. Fans stayed in nearby hotels. The league hoped to raise $20,000 to finance the trip, according to Joe Leonard, an assistant coach with Clint Koeppen.
“The kids had the time of their lives,” Angelica Gay said. “They wanted to stay with their opponents. Our players exchanged contacts with Italy’s players. Our girls enjoyed meeting the other team’s players, especially the international players. Our girls bowed to the Japanese players as a sign of respect. Our girls loved their girls.”
Angelica Gay said she hopes the team’s showing inspires others.
“This shows that if you work toward a goal and stick to the plan you can accomplish the goal,” she said. “We put pressure on all of the teams. Kentucky felt it would mercy us. That was not the case at all.”
The Series consisted of 12 teams from 12 qualifying regions. There were eight United States regions and four international regions. The Johnston County Little League, Clayton, N.C., won the title, downing Kentucky 2-0 in the championship game.
“Kentucky, North Carolina, Florida, etcetera … they all pick (their players) from whole counties,” Neal Gay said. “We pick from a tight little litter.”
Jaylen Brown was named the Player of the Game by Little League after pitching Toms River to wins over Puerto Rico and Japan.
“The Series was fun,” Brown said. “There was a lot of competition. We played against good teams and different countries and stuff. I pitched in every inning and was a little bit tired, but I tend to suck it up and play my hardest in every game.”
Brown, nicknamed the TR Express, said she enjoyed the experience.
“The dorms were clean and everything was nice,” she said. “We were greeted by Little League helpers. They made us feel at home.”
Brown said she signed “about” five softballs for fans.
“Everyone came up to me after a big game and asked me to sign a ball,” she said. “I felt really good and important. I was happy that we even made it in the top five.”
Neal Gay said he was impressed with the team’s showing.
“Great run,” he said. “Oh my God. Amazing. I’m happy it’s over. Stress … excitement … ups and downs. Outside of having four children, this is the most exciting thing of my life. The girls not at one time showed stress as they are so close off the field. They never wavered. They knew after the first game we lost (to Japan) that they would give a better outing. We were overlooked by a lot of the other teams.”
Neal Gay said he hopes the club’s play grows Little League.
“I hope this inspires kids to play Little League,” he said. “At least give yourself a chance. They will at least get a chance to put on that Toms River uniform even if they don’t make it to Bristol (the site of the Mid-Atlantic Region Tournament in Connecticut) or the Series.”
“It felt great to be in the World Series,” said team member Gia Gatto. “I had the best time of my life. A lot of people were watching. I was not really nervous playing on tv as I have played in intense games before the Series.”
Gatto signed several autographs.
“Maybe 10,” she said. “I signed softballs, opposing players’ jerseys. It felt great. Everyone wanted my autograph.”
“The Series was really fun,” Analeise Curley said. “It was the best experience I’ve ever had in softball. I got to play with a lot of my friends.”
The team, which was 15-4 in postseason play, won District 18, Section III, New Jersey and Mid-Atlantic titles prior to competing in the Series.
“I went to every game … from the Districts and on,” Stephanie Curley said proudly. “It’s been a whirlwind … very, very exciting … a little overwhelming and definitely a once in a lifetime experience. I could not be prouder … not just of Analeise, but of all of the girls.”
Stephanie Curley was Toms River’s den mother while it competed in Bristol.
“I was with the girls for 24 hours each day,” she said. “Talk about a bond! We shared three beds together. We talked. I started the talks with, ‘What was your favorite moment of today?’ After that, I said, ‘What could you have done better? What will you try harder at?’ A couple of the girls got down mentally. I said, ‘What’s gonna happen tomorrow? I will hit the ball best and I will hit it tomorrow.'”
Philysa Brown, the mother of Jaylen Brown, said she was impressed with her daughter’s endurance.
“If she has it, go for it,” Philysa Brown said. “If she can keep going, let her keep going. Gotta fight through it. It was a great experience and the girls got to experience it as a family. They were treated like celebrities and loved every minute of it.”
The league said on its Facebook page after the Series, “These girls represented Toms River with heart, grit and unbelievable resilience. They finished their World Series run 3-3, leaving it all on the field every single game.
“Mischa Koeppen and Briella Bognar: 7 quality at-bats each; Juliana Florek-Doslik: 5 runs scored; Briella Bognar: 2 doubles; Juliana Florek-Doslik: 2 doubles and one triple; Jaelyn Brown: incredible pitching throughout the tournament; Analeise Curley and Mischa Koeppen: 1 double play each; Franki Velardi, Juliana Florek-Doslil and Gia Gatto: 2 double plays each; Aviana Gay: Led our team in average during Regionals, then here in N.C. she gets pulled mid-inning on national tv and doesn’t break character; Leiana Gay: Caught every inning of this run, three throwouts down here in N.C. and 2 huge go-ahead RBI hits in the last two games; Sophia Tolentino: Led the team in average down here in N.C.; Shaelyn Seaman: Led all of the regionals in RBI and had arguably the biggest hit in Bristol, Ct.”
Toms River fell 2-1 to Owensboro, Ky., in the semifinals on an RBI single to right field with two out on a 1-1 pitch by Evelyn Chelstrom off Brown, the losing pitcher, in the top of the first.
Toms River took a 1-0 lead in the first on a run-scoring single by Brown with one out. Kentucky, the Central Region champion, tied the game at one in the fourth on a two-out RBI double in the fourth.
Brown allowed two runs, including one earned. She whiffed three and walked one. She threw 75 pitches, including 47 strikes, and surrendered eight hits. Bognar went 2-for-2, including one double. Velardi went 1-for-2. Leiana Gay went 1-for-2.
Winning pitcher Michaela Knight allowed one unearned run. She whiffed six, walked two and allowed five hits. She tossed 102 pitches, including 68 for strikes. Toms River played errorless ball. Kentucky made one error.
In the consolation game, Toms River succumbed 5-4 to Florida. Toms River took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Florida rallied for three runs in the third for a 3-2 lead. Toms River swung in front 4-3 with two runs in the fourth. Florida tied the game at four with one run in the fourth. Florida prevailed with one out in the sixth.
Gatto went 1-for-2. Analeise Curley went 0-for-2, scored one run and drew one walk. Aviana Gay went 0-for-3 and scored one run. Brown went 1-for-2, plated one run and drew one walk. Bognar went 0-for-2 and knocked in one run.
Florek-Doslik hit one double in two at-bats, drove in one run and scored one run. Leiana Gay went 1-for-2 and drove in one run.
In the Elimination Bracket, Toms River ousted Latin America champion Puerto Rico 4-0.
Toms River took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a two-out single up the middle by Leiana Gay on a 3-1 pitch. Gatto blooped the first offering to short center field. The Puerto Rico shortstop dropped the ball, scoring two runs, giving Toms River a 3-0 lead.
Winning pitcher Brown ripped the first pitch to left field for a two-out RBI single, capping the scoring in the third. Brown, who tossed her second straight shutout, allowed three hits, whiffed four and walked three. She threw 77 pitches, including 49 for strikes.
Surrounded by smiling teammates after the game, Brown told ESPN, “The best part is winning.”
Toms River made one error and stroked four hits. Puerto Rico’s two errors led to two unearned runs.
Toms River ripped Sango of Japan, the Asia-Pacific champion, 11-0, in the Elimination Bracket.
Toms River stroked 13 hits and made one error. Winning pitcher Brown tossed a two-hitter. She whiffed three and walked two. She threw 80 pitches, including 50 for strikes and went 1-for-2, drove in one run and stole one base. She retired 11 of 12 batters during one stretch.
Japan allowed five unearned runs. Curley hit one double in three at-bats, scored two runs and drew one walk. Velardi went 1-for-4 and stole one base. Bognar went 0-for-2, scored one run and drove in one run. Seaman went 1-for-3 and scored one run.
Koeppen went 1-for-3, drove in one run and scored one run. Gatto went 2-for-2, plated two runs and scored one run. Leonard went 0-for-3 and scored one run. Florek-Doslik went 1-for-3, scored two runs and drove in one run.
Gay went 2-for-3, drove in two runs and scored one run. Tolentino went 3-for-3, drove in one run and scored one run.
Aided by two Japan errors and one defensive lapse, Toms River took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a Bognar sacrifice fly. Gatto’s sacrifice fly pushed the lead to 2-0 in the second. Brown’s sacrifice fly made it 3-0 in the third.
Toms River erupted for eight runs in the sixth.
Florek-Doslik stretched the lead to 4-0 with a fielder’s choice with one out. Aviana Gay ripped a two-run single on a 1-1 pitch with one out for a 6-0 lead. Her mom led the cheers, standing and clapping. Tolentino’s one-out RBI single put Toms River ahead 7-0.
With two out, a fielding error on a ball hit by Gatto put Toms River up 8-0. Koeppen followed with a run-scoring single for a 9-0 lead. Seaman drove the ball to deep left field where an error resulted in two runs, capping the outburst.
Toms River and other teams took in a professional game involving the Athletes Unlimited Softball League. Players collected autographs, tossed ceremonial first pitches and did post game interviews. Launched in June of 2025, the circuit is backed by a strategic investment from Major League Baseball.
Toms River avenged a 4-3 loss to Sango in the first round of the Orange Bracket.
Toms River vanquished New England champion Bristol, Ct., 13-3, in the Elimination Bracket.
Winning pitcher Brown worked four innings, allowing three runs – all earned – on four hits, whiffing three and walking six. She tossed 103 pitches, including 51 for strikes.
Toms River erupted for nine runs in the bottom of the first inning, taking a 9-0 lead. Florek-Doslik keyed the assault with a three run triple.
Curley went 1-for-3 and scored one run. Velardi went 1-for-2 and scored two runs. Brown scored one run and drew one walk. Bognar, who was 0-for-1, scored one run, drove in one run and was hit by one pitch.
Teammate Carly Leonard went 1-for-1, scored two runs, drove in one run and drew one walk. Florek-Doslik went 1-for-1, scored two runs and drew one walk. Gay went 0-for-1, drove in one run and drew one walk.
Tolentino went 1-for-1. Leiana Gay went 2-for-2 and plated two runs. Gatto went 0-for-2 and scored one run. Koppen went 0-for-1, scored one run and drew one walk.
Toms River opened with a 4-1 loss to Sango in the Orange Bracket.
Toms River allowed three unearned runs, committing two errors. Second baseman Aviana Gay made each error. Losing pitcher Brown whiffed four, walked two and allowed four hits. She threw 79 pitches, including 51 for strikes.
Toms River stroked five hits, drew one walk and struck out four times. Bognar hit one double in two at-bats and drove in one run. It fell behind 3-0 in the bottom of the first inning and was down 3-1 after the top half of the fourth. It was down 4-1 through four innings.
Toms River hosted the state tournament championship game at its complex and the state banquet at the Clarion Hotel & Conference Center in Toms River.
