World Series recaps

Texas, Illinois only undefeated teams left in pool play (3-0), Pennsville back at it with DH Thursday and a chance to win its pool

SENIOR SOFTBALL LL WORLD SERIES
Wednesday’s scores
West 15, Europe-Africa 1
Central 3, Canada 2
Latin America 6, Delaware 5
Southwest 18, Asia-Pacific 2

By Riverview Sports News

ROXANA, Del. – The Southwest and Central U.S. champions are the only undefeated teams remaining in pool play in the Senior Softball Little League World Series, but after the events of Wednesday night, the Pennsville Eagles have a chance to swoop in and steal the top seed in their pool.

The Eagles had the night off, a welcome respite after playing past midnight the day before. They play their final two pool games Thursday and after Latin America held off Delaware Wednesday night they have a chance to win the No. 1 seed with a sweep of Team Southwest and Latin America.

Here are the recaps of Wednesday night’s games:

POOL A
SOUTHWEST 18, ASIA-PACIFIC 2: Catcher Jayden Sadler hit a three-run homer in the first inning, Journee White and Miah Corona had three hits apiece and pitcher Allyson Schauer came within one out of a four-inning no-hitter as the Southwest champions from Texas moved closer to clinching the No. 1 seed in the pool.

The two-time defending champions from the Waco area can clinch the top seed with a victory over Pennsville in Thursday’s 5:30 p.m. game. The Texans, who’ve outscored their opponents in this year’s tournament 33-4, won it in 2019 and 2022. There were no tournaments in 2020 and 2021. 

LATIN AMERICA 6, DELAWARE 5: The champions from Puerto Rico opened a 6-0 lead through four innings, then held off a furious comeback from last year’s runner-up and host team over the last three innings.

Delaware cut the margin to 6-4 in the fifth on Ashlyn Ullman’s three-run homer and made it 6-5 in the sixth after loading the bases. The Tribe had the tying and go-ahead runners on base with one out in the seventh, but the game ended on a ground ball double play. 

POOL B
CENTRAL 3, CANADA 2: Cora Ellison hit a one-out solo homer in the eighth inning to snap a 2-2 tie and reliever Mia Volpert retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning to preserve the victory that clinched the No. 1 seed in the pool. The Canadians tied the game with a pair of unearned runs in the sixth.

Even if the champions from Illinois lose their final pool game Thursday and finish tied with Canada in the standings, they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.

WEST 15, EUROPE-AFRICA 1: Shelby Baguio drove in five runs with three hits, including a homer, and spun a complete-game three-hitter in the circle to lift the West champions from Honolulu to their first win of the tournament. Baguio had an RBI single in the third inning, a two-run homer in the fourth and a two-run single in the fifth. Tasiana Taufahema had two hits and four RBIs.

SENIOR SOFTBALL LL WORLD SERIES
Thursday’s games
West vs. Southeast
Asia-Pacific vs. Delaware
Southwest vs. Pennsville, 5:30 p.m.
Central vs. Europe-Africa
Pennsville vs. Latin America, 8 p.m.
Europe-Africa vs. Canada
Friday’s games
Game 21: A-2 vs. B-3, 12:30 p.m.
Game 22: Canada (B-2) vs. A-3, 3 p.m.
Game 23: Central (B-1) vs. A-4, 5:30 p.m.
Game 24: Pennsville or Southwest (A-1) vs. B-4, 8 p.m.
Saturday’s game
A-5 vs. B-5, 3 p.m.
Losers of Games 21-22, 3 p.m.
21 vs. 23, 5:30 p.m.
22 vs. 24, 8 p.m.
Losers of Games 23-24, 8 p.m.
Sunday’s game
Third-place game, 11 a.m.
Championship game, 7 p.m.