Tighe, Eagles dispatch Delaware in less than an hour in resumption of suspended game; play Rhode Island in finals at 2 p.m.
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
WORCESTER, Mass. – The Pennsville All-Stars moved within one win of a berth in the Little League Senior Softball World Series this morning with a 6-1 win over Delaware in the completion of their suspended semifinal game from Tuesday night.
The Eagles will take on Warwick North, R.I., for the East Regional title. The winner advances to the World Series in Roxana, Del., with a first game July 31 against the host team from Lower Sussex. Rhode Island held off Maryland in the other semifinal, 4-3.
“We played a good game defensively, pitched well and feel confident with that side,” Pennsville manager Chris Watson said. “We struggled to make solid contact on an excellent pitcher (and) need to make quicker adjustments at the plate, but overall we feel good.”
Pennsville held a 2-0 lead at the suspension and scored on the first pitch of the restart when Leadoff Lily Edwards raced home from third on a wild pitch. Before the inning was over, they added another run on Bella Farina’s RBI single.
Kloi Tighe was just as sharp this next morning as she was before the suspension. Delaware put together back-to-back two-out doubles in the home third for its only run. Tighe, who beat Delaware earlier in the tournament, gave up five hits, walked one and struck out eight in her complete game.
Delaware threatened in the fifth, putting runners in scoring position with two outs. Lexi Dennis grounded to short and Avery Watson’s force at third got away, but third baseman Bella Farina recovered and easily cut down the runner at the plate.
Watson said Tuesday night his choice for a starting pitcher in the championship game if they completed this win would be “a game-time decision.”
“We worked out all four pitchers this morning and will do so again before making a call,” Watson said after the game.
This was a major hurdle for the Eagles. They were eliminated in this round here a year ago when they lost a 10-run lead to a team from Delaware.
Pennsville 6, Delaware 1
Pennsville 103 011 0 – 6 6 0
Delaware 001 000 0 – 1 5 1
WP: Kloi Tighe. LP: Lexi Dennis. 2B: Graillyn Weber (P), Lexi Dennis (D), Jordan Fletcher (D). 3B: Jess Bretz (P).
Tale of the Tape (East Region)
| NORTH WARICK, RI | PENNSVILLE LL | ||
| Mass. District 4 | 10-0 | Havre de Grace, Md. | 13-7 |
| Marblehead, Mass. | 14-6 | Smyrna/Clayton, Del. | 14-1 |
| Bristol, Conn. | 14-0 | Stroudsburg, Pa. | 17-6 |
| Stroudsburg, Pa. | 13-0 | Mass. District 4 | 17-5 |
| Havre de Grace, Md. | 4-3 | Smyrna/Clayton, Del. | 6-1 |
Photo: Michelle Pedrick
Riverview Sports News 