Hudson Valley Express brings winning combination to Colorado

HARLEM VALLEY — Athletes who have been playing softball not just for their high school teams have also been active for a travel-league, and have excelled in both venues.The Hudson Valley Express travel-ball softball team has been working hard this season for their 16-6 record.Kiersten Duncan of Millerton, Anna Lonczak of Pine Plains and Brooke Hapeman of Elizaville trained hard to support the Webutuck and Stissing softball teams and are pouring their hearts into the Hudson Valley Express.The girls and their families travel all over the East Coast for games and are gearing up for a tournament in Colorado.“We participate in this tournament every two years. There’s a total of 68 teams and it’s played in brackets. We’re all really excited,” Hapeman said.The girls attribute their record to hard work and camaraderie.“We practice a lot to get everyone together. We have some new people added to the team this year so you always have to work that out and help everyone find their places. There are some girls that have been playing together for four years and you know how they play. It’s always hard when there are new people but we all get along really well so it’s not that much of a challenge,” Duncan said.Within moments of meeting the girls it’s obvious they share a bond.“We always say they’ll all be at each other’s weddings,” said Maureen Lonczak, Anna’s mother.The families invest as much in the league as the players, offering not only transportation (as most of the girls do not yet drive) but also support and encouragement.“Most people think you’re crazy when you say, ‘Oh, we’re going to Toronto this weekend for a game.’ It’s a huge commitment, but it’s so worth it to see them on the field together,” said Dean Hapeman, Brooke’s father.A lot of credit is given to the coaches by both the girls and their parents.“The coaches work really well one-on-one with each girl to bring out their strengths. They get a lot of attention and it’s amazing to watch them work. They just bring out the best in each player,” Dean said.The parents lean on each other as much as the girls do.“We’re a big support system for each other. We couldn’t do it without each other. We’re relatively new and everyone was so welcoming,” said Amiee Duncan, Kiersten’s mother.The girls participated in the 14U Connecticut State Championship Tounament hosted by the United States Specialty Sports Association on Friday and Saturday, June 23 and 24, where they came in second to Xtreme Chaos.During their next to last game, the girls faced the Connecticut Eliminators.Husdon Valley Express was down 4-1 in the last inning with two outs.The batter at the plate had two strikes, but through sheer determination the girls came back to beat the Eliminators 5-4.“We were almost having heart attacks. It was incredible to watch them. They weren’t going to let this game go,” Aimee Duncan said.With their impressive placement in the tournament the girls are going to Colorado with high hopes.“I think we’ll do well. We often do well. We work hard and hope it shows,” Anna Lonczak said.