Massapequa International softball falls in Mid-Atlantic Region final
Madison Skei bats for Massapequa International during the Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament championship against Pennsylvania on Friday in Bristol, Conn. Credit: Douglas Healey
BRISTOL, Conn. — There will be a new Little League Softball World Series champion this summer.
After battling its way through the elimination bracket, the Massapequa International 12U softball team’s season ended with a 5-1 loss to West Point (Pennsylvania) in the Mid-Atlantic Region tournament championship game on Friday night at Breen Field.
Massapequa was sent to the elimination bracket by its 6-0 loss to West Point on Monday. After that game, Massapequa manager Rich Eaton said his girls were in good spirits and wanted to play West Point again.
His team earned that opportunity with three straight shutouts against Hanover Township (New Jersey), Middletown (Delaware) and Brunswick (Maryland). Massapequa fought until the final out of Friday’s rematch, but West Point will be moving on to the Little League World Series.
“I told the girls how proud I am of them and how each one of them has gotten better, and how mature they were because they never quit,” Eaton said. “Even at the end, they gave a speech to each other about how we can come back. Not a tear, not a worry in their eyes came from this team until the final out.”
West Point’s Lexi Stabile allowed one run and four hits in a complete game, striking out seven. She also drove in three runs for West Point, which will represent the Mid-Atlantic Region in Greenville, North Carolina, when the World Series begins on Aug. 4.
Massapequa got off to a strong start defensively, as Avery Smar caught a line drive and fired to Charlotte Welsh at third base for an inning-ending double play in the top of the first inning.
In the second, West Point got back-to-back singles by Morgan Maiers and Rian Starz before Stabile’s groundout drove in Maiers to give West Point a 1-0 lead. Peyton Reamer led off the third with a triple and scored on a safety squeeze to make it 2-0.
West Point went ahead 5-0 in the fourth when Starz’ single drove in Piper Hoppel and Stabile launched a two-run double to deep centerfield.
Massapequa’s Olivia Feldman worked a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fourth and scored on a two-out single by Kailyn Eaton. With Welsh on second and Eaton on first, Sammi Cowan lined a single to rightfield, but a strong throw to the plate by Braylyn Graft forced Welsh into a rundown between third and home. Eaton strayed too far off second and was tagged for the final out of the inning.
“Pennsylvania’s a good team,” Rich Eaton said. “I think our pitching was equal but I think their defense . . . just their smarts, knowing what to do with the ball. We had to get four hits to get a run. They’re just so good at protecting the plate. I tip my cap to them.”
Feldman went 1-for-1 with a walk and two stolen bases. She allowed two earned runs in a complete game, striking out six.
Massapequa, which won its third straight state championship on its way to the region final, played six games in as many days, including four straight elimination games.
“I know the girls feel like they had to fill the shoes of the girls last year, but I told the girls before the game, ‘You wrote your own story,’ ” assistant coach Dom Fantana said. “You need a lot to go well. It wasn’t for a lack of effort today.”
