Stan Wilson has been coaching the current members of the Pine Bush Little League Seniors softball team since they were 8 years old.

The oldest members of that group are now 16 and with his daughter, Jordyn, about to age out of the program, they’re going out on top as the seniors won their second straight District 19 championship on June 28 with an 11-1 win over Cornwall.

Wilson said winning the team’s second straight District 19 title was “more than words could describe.”

It isn’t easy winning one title. Winning two straight is even harder.

“It’s very hard to do it twice,” Wilson said. “A lot of the girls came back, and I’m very lucky for that. It’s hard to get girls to play Little League at this age and it’s a good group of girls, all of them. They put the work in, and they don’t mind working. I’m very proud of them.”

Pine Bush and Cornwall met three times in the tournament, as Pine Bush sent them to the elimination bracket on June 23 with a 9-8 victory. They each needed one victory to advance to their June 27 meeting. Needing to win to extend the season, Cornwall scored a 9-8 win over Pine Bush to force their June 27 decisive championship game.

“They’re a really good team, and we have a lot of respect for them,” Wilson said. “But I just told my girls to play their game, and we would have a better chance of winning this game today.”

It shaped up to be a much different game from the first pitch as Pine Bush’s Natalie Longobardo and Cornwall’s Hannah Accilli pitched to a 1-1 tie through the game’s first five innings.

Pine Bush got its first run in the third inning when Jordyn Wilson doubled, took third on a passed ball and then scored when Cornwall catcher Grace Mattone threw the ball into left field.

Cornwall tied the game on a sacrifice fly in the fourth, but Pine Bush escaped with a couple of groundouts.

Pine Bush broke the tie in the sixth inning when Keiley Langdon drove a two-run single into right field. She scored on Elizabeth Metcalfe’s groundout to give Pine Bush a 4-1 lead. But Pine Bush dropped the hammer in the seventh, scoring an additional seven runs, and Longobardo did the job with the bat as well, driving the final nail into Cornwall’s coffin with a three-run home run, giving Pine Bush a 9-1 lead.

“That was the final nail, I think, but I was trying to keep my girls down and keep them in the game,” Wilson said. “We had to finish. It’s not over until the fat lady sings.”

Both teams combined for 17 runs each in the first two meetings, but this time Longobardo kept Cornwall’s bats in check all night. She allowed one earned run and scattered seven hits. She struck out seven.

“She gave me everything she had,” Wilson said. “She had great, great location today. She was hitting with everything. She’s an amazing player. I’m lucky to have her.”

There is no Section 3 North tournament for this age group so Pine Bush will advance directly to the New York State Senior Softball championships, scheduled for July 12-18 at New City Little League.

“We’re going to celebrate for a little bit, but then we go back to work,” Wilson said. “Last year, we went to states and came up a little short in the championship game. We’re hoping to finish that off the right way. It’s my last year coaching with these girls. These girls are really amazing. I’ve had most of them since they were 8 years old, so it’s amazing to be with them.”