Next up for Massapequa softball is a trip to Little League World Series in Greenville, North Carolina

It took a while to sink in, but the Massapequa International 12U softball team is heading to the Little League Softball World Series in Greenville, North Carolina.

The 12-team tournament starts on Sunday, but Massapequa will play its first game at 7 p.m. on Monday against the winner of Connecticut/Italy on ESPN.

“I still can’t even believe it,” catcher Sienna Erker said. “We’re going to North Carolina. It’s crazy.”

Erker played a key role in Massapequa’s 7-0 win over North Pocono in the Mid-Atlantic Region final on July 28, driving in Alexis Fontana and Olivia Feldman with a two-run double in a six-run first inning. Erker scored the third run on a double by Abigail Long.

In the third inning, Erker hit a leadoff triple before scoring the final run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Long.

“After our first runners got on and I had that hit to get those first few runs, we knew there was no going back and we just kept going from there,” Erker said.

Massapequa’s backbone is its pitching and defense. In its four regional tournament games, the team had three shutouts. Feldman pitched the first four innings of the final, with Fontana pitching the final two. Helped by an over-the-shoulder catch by centerfielder Jocelyn Vandenberg in the fourth inning, Massapequa allowed seven hits and didn’t commit an error.

“What’s amazing about this team is that most of these kids play different positions for their travel teams than what they play for us,” manager Rich Eaton said. “It took us 2 1⁄2 weeks just to figure out where everybody fits. It wasn’t easy, but these girls were so open- minded about playing any position to help the team. That selflessness makes this defense so great.”

As the girls punched their ticket to the World Series, cheers rained down from the stands in Bristol, Connecticut, that were packed with friends and family. Those that couldn’t make the trip gathered at Brady Park in Massapequa and Jackie Reilly’s restaurant in Bethpage for watch parties.

“It meant a lot to have our younger teams come up to Connecticut and see them in the stands,” Erker said. “It was just amazing to know that our whole community was behind us and we knew they would be proud of us no matter what.”

“The support has been amazing. I had 118 text messages after the last win,” Eaton added.

At their hour-long workout Tuesday afternoon, it was almost hard to believe that these girls have not been lifelong friends. The way they  joked around with each other in between plays, both on the field and in the dugout, it felt impossible that this team was assembled just two months ago.

As Erker hit a ground ball to Long at first base, Long decided to run Erker halfway back to home plate rather than stepping on first for the easy out. They both laughed as Long finally tagged Erker after an unsuccessful juke attempt.

“When I first joined this team, I only knew two or three of these girls,” Long said. “I know everyone so much better now and they make the game so much more fun to play. Now that we’ve practiced together every day and we lived together for a week, it feels like I’ve known them for way longer than I actually have.”

“I’m looking forward to spending more time with this team,” Fontana added. “We’ve become so close, it feels like they’re family to me now.”

The team departed from LaGuardia Airport on Wednesday afternoon with its sights set on another tournament win.

“Since we have to sit there for five days without a game, I want to win,” Eaton said. “A lot of people go there and say, ‘Let’s just enjoy the experience.’ We want to win.”