Massapequa begins quest for Little League Softball World Series repeat with win over Middletown

BRISTOL, Conn. — Even with a mostly different team, it was easy to tell that the Massapequa International 12U softball team had been here before.

Behind a combined two-hitter from Olivia Feldman and Mia Victor — the two returning players from last year’s team that won the Little League Softball World Series — Massapequa made a loud statement with a 10-0 win over Middletown (Delaware) in the opening game of the Mid-Atlantic Region tournament Sunday morning at Breen Field.

Massapequa will face West Point (Pennsylvania) in the second round of the double-elimination tournament at 10 a.m. Monday.

“I’ve said from the beginning that our team would be the most relaxed because we have two World Series champions,” manager Rich Eaton said. “Our girls knew exactly what to expect. [Feldman and Victor] did a great job preparing the team. A lot of these other teams come here and they have to figure out what it feels like.”

Feldman opened the game with a single to center and stole second before scoring on a single to left by Victor. A two-out single to shallow rightfield by Charlotte Welsh plated Victor. Welsh scored on a wild pitch to cap a three-run top of the first inning.

“It was important because it started a rally and that got everyone pumped up for the rest of the game,” Victor said.

Massapequa kept the pressure on in the second inning. Marisa Dukiet scored on a single by Lexi Phillips and Sophia Evans scored on a single by Eaton’s daughter Kailyn for a 5-0 lead.

In the third, Riley Erbis scored on a throw to second on a successful steal attempt by Welsh, who scored on a single by Sammi Cowan to give Massapequa a 7-0 lead.

“Having the lead made me feel more comfortable and confident,” Feldman said. “I just needed to do my job and shut it down.”

Feldman and the Massapequa defense were lights out. She needed only 50 pitches to get through five innings, in which she allowed two hits, and Victor pitched a hitless sixth to close out the game. All 18 outs were made in the field, as neither Feldman nor Victor recorded a strikeout. Massapequa committed only one error.

“Our defense was fantastic today,” Rich Eaton said. “You look at the score and you might say, ‘That team can’t hit.’ No, that’s a very good-hitting team right there. We just played fantastic defense. They didn’t strike out one time.”

“Every time it was hit, I knew it was getting caught,” Feldman added.

Massapequa tacked on three runs in the top of the sixth as Erbis scored on a single by Madison Skei, Avery Smar scored on a bases-loaded walk to Ava Antico and Cowan scored on a single by Evans.

Pitching and defense have been Massapequa’s strengths during the last two seasons, but the lineup’s depth might go overlooked. All 12 of Massapequa’s hitters reached base at least once and 10 players recorded a hit.

“It tells you we’re a complete team,” Rich Eaton said. “When you’re coaching a team that’s up by four or five runs, you can play shallow and force them to hit it over your head, so there’s not much space to get a hit. Even when they did hit it deep, Sophia Evans tracked everything down in centerfield.”

Massapequa had some familiar faces in the crowd. Members of last year’s World Series team, including Sienna Erker, Alexis Fontana, Jocelyn Vandenberg and Cassie Van Schuyler, were in the bleachers cheering on the team.

“They’re always there for us and they know how to cheer us up if we’re having an off day,” Victor said. “It’s nice to have their support.”