District III’s dream was to have both its softball teams playing in World Series championship games this weekend.
But Sussex County’s Senior League all-stars ran into a U.S. West squad with dreams of its own on Friday night.
The West, from Montana, scored five runs in the first inning and never looked back, blanking District-III, 11-0, in the Senior League semifinals at Lower Sussex Little League.
Delaware District 3 catcher Mariah Rogers recovered a loose ball and threw it to relief pitcher Rylee Shockley in time to tag USA West’s Taylor Holmes out at home plate in World Series Game Friday night in Roxana. Special To The Delaware State News/Gary Emeigh
Montana (5-0) will square off with U.S. Central champion Michigan (3-2) in today’s ESPN-televised finals at 2 p.m. Central held off U.S. East, 2-1, in Friday’s other semifinal.
District III (3-2), which had a three-game winning streak snapped, will play the East (4-1) today at 11 a.m. in the third-place game.
Sussex County managed only three hits in Friday’s five-inning contest. Taylor Evick, Samantha Mumford and Karleigh Carroll all had singles against West pitchers Macy Newbary and Kaylee Rosenbaum.
The two pitchers combined for seven strikeouts with only two walks.
The West finished with seven hits while taking advantage of six walks, a hit batter and an error.
Consolation games today: Friday’s consolation games in the Big League tourney were postponed because of wet field conditions at Lower Sussex.
Kent County’s District I is slated to play U.S. Central at a time to be determined.
Baseball
Junior League
Dover 7, Rhode Island 4: Dover got off to a fast start, scoring seven runs in the second inning before holding off Rhode Island in its Eastern Regional opener in Freehold Township, N.J. on Friday.
The District I champions are back in action today when they face West Salisbury, Md. at 7 p.m. in the 10-team, double-elimination tournament.
“It’s amazing,” Dover manager Andrew Davis said about the win. “We said this game is the most important game. You don’t want to get into the losers’ bracket that first game and have to crawl your way out. It’ll eat up your pitching.”
In its big second inning, Dover sent 13 batters to the plate, collecting six hits in the outburst. Michael Carrington lined a two-run double to center while Hiram Davis, Daevon Stratton and Andrew Carney all added RBI in the inning.
Stratton and Carrington finished with two hits apiece for Dover.
Using six pitchers to keep them all eligible by pitch-count rules, Andrew Carney earned the victory. He struck out two and didn’t allow a hit in 1.2 innings.