Kailyn Eaton helps Massapequa softball advance to Mid-Atlantic regional final
Kaylyn Eaton’s two-run double was the big hit for Massapequa in a six-run third inning against Brunswick (Md.) on Thursday, July 25, 2024. Credit: Douglas Healey
BRISTOL, Conn. — The Massapequa International 12U softball team is one game away from returning to the Little League World Series.
A six-run third inning capped by a two-run double by Kailyn Eaton powered Massapequa to a 10-0 win in five innings over Brunswick (Maryland) in the Mid-Atlantic Region elimination bracket final Thursday night at Breen Field.
Massapequa will face West Point (Pennsylvania) in the championship game at 7 p.m. on Friday.
“It feels so good. It’s crazy because I’ve been up here so many times and I just never thought that I’d actually get to play in the championship game,” said Eaton, who has made the trip to Bristol with her father and Massapequa’s manager, Rich, each of the last three years.
As Massapequa has done in all four of its wins this tournament, it scored in the first inning. Olivia Feldman reached on an error and stole second base before scoring on a single up the middle by Mia Victor. Riley Erbis followed with a single to rightfield to plate Victor, giving Massapequa a 2-0 lead after the first.
Ava Antico walked to leadoff the explosive third inning and was followed by Lexi Phillips, who doubled to left-centerfield. Antico scored on a perfect bunt by Sophia Evans that left Maryland’s defense with no play.
Mia Victor worked a bases loaded walk to plate Phillips and Erbis drove in Evans on a fielder’s choice. Charlotte Welsh drove in Feldman on an infield single before Eaton plated Victor and Erbis on her double.
"Everybody was just pumped the whole inning,” Kailyn Eaton said. “Everyone was loud and cheering. It was great.”
Feldman singled to start the bottom of the fifth and scored on an error. Sammi Cowan grounded a two-out single up the middle to plate Welsh for the mercy rule-clinching run.
Feldman struck out four and allowed three hits in four innings and Victor pitched a hitless fifth inning to combine for the shutout. Remarkably, all nine games that have been played this tournament have been shutouts.
The Massapequa girls will get the rematch they’ve wanted since Monday, when they suffered a 6-0 loss to West Point.
“The way this tournament’s going, I hope we score first,” Rich Eaton said. “Nine shutouts out of nine games is unheard of. I wouldn’t expect a lot of runs being scored, but I told our girls, ‘Why not? Why does it have to be 1-0 or 2-0? Why not go and win 6-0?’ ”
Massapequa has taken the hardest path to the tournament’s championship game, as Friday’s game will mark its sixth straight day with a game, including four straight elimination games. Friday will be West Point’s third game.
“I feel like it’s an advantage. We’ve been playing softball every day,” Eaton said. “We’re like Major League players, playing every day. We’re ready to go.”
Feldman will tell you that she and her teammates have just maximized the most of their extra TV time.
“We definitely can win tomorrow,” Feldman said. “We always work hard in practice and we always stick together. If we do our best, we have a really good shot and we get to look back when we’re older and see all the games that we’ve played and it’s really nice to see.”
