Little League Softball Crowns Three World Series Champions After Thrilling Finishes
Little League Softball capped an exciting week at the Major, Junior and Senior League levels this past weekend as championship games were held across the country.
North Carolina Reigns Supreme, Claims Multiple World Titles
In Greenville, N.C., the championship game for the 10-12-year-olds featured the host team from Johnston County Little League and the Central Region representative from Daviess County Little League of Kentucky.
Defense was the key to victory for North Carolina, as they won 2-0 in a pitcher's duel, scoring two unearned runs in the second and third innings to make the difference.
North Carolina pitcher Anna-Lynn Clark, was once again strong, throwing a three-hit shutout with six strikeouts. It was her second consecutive shutout, as she blanked Florida on Saturday by a score of 4-0. In that game, Clark allowed only two hits and struck out 11.
Across the country on Saturday, the Junior League Softball World Series championship game was held in Kirkland, Washington. The Southeast Region champion, Mallard Creek Little League of Charlotte, North Carolina beat Foothill Little League of California by a score of 6-4.
Leading 6-2 going into the top of the seventh inning, North Carolina withstood a comeback attempt by California, which loaded the bases with no outs after a walk, a single and an intentional walk.
North Carolina pitcher Addison Lowder induced a fly ball with no runners advancing for the first out. She then got a ground ball force-out at home for the second out. A two-out California single produced two runs, making the score 6-4.
With the game-tying run at the plate, Lowder added another strikeout to end the game and secure the exciting championship win.
Michigan Repeats as Senior League Champions
Senior League Softball World Series action concluded on Sunday in Roxana, Del.
In a rematch from the previous year between Michigan and Delaware, the Central Region representative from Grand Blanc, Mich., won its second consecutive title by a score of 6-4.
Michigan slammed two home runs in the second inning to take a 5-0 lead. Makenna Kresbaugh connected on a three-run shot, while Adysen Freeman followed with a two-run, opposite-field blast. '
Ayannah Jackson hit a solo homer in the fourth inning to stretch the lead to 6-0.
Delaware mounted a furious comeback in the fifth and sixth innings by scoring four runs, highlighted by Emma Jackson's two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth.
The tying run came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Kresbaugh got a ground ball and two fly balls for outs to thwart Delaware's bid to tie the game.
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Thomas Carey was born and raised in Delaware and is a graduate of both the University of Delaware and Wilmington University. He has spent his career as a legal writer. He played competitive modified softball for ten years and has been an assistant coach for girls fastpitch since 2017. For the past several years, he served as a recruiting coordinator at the 18-and-under travel ball level.
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