Perryville pitcher Julia Crothers prepares to throw a pitch during a game in West Haven, Conn. this week. (Photo courtesy Pam Ricketts / August 8, 2012) |
The Perryville Little League junior division softball all-stars had their season end Tuesday in East Region pool play in West Haven, Conn.
Perryville went 1-3 in pool play, missing out on advancement by one game.
The final pool game was played Tuesday morning, a 2-0 loss to West Point Little League of Greensburg, Pa., which finished pool play a perfect 4-0. The game was a scoreless duel into the fourth inning, before West Point scored the game's runs on a two-run home run. Losing pitcher Virginia Lewis went the distance, allowing six hits and striking out four.
"I think they are the best team in the tourney," Perryville Manager Mike Knell said following Tuesday's game. "We outplayed them, but didn't score a run."
Perryville did have a couple chances to score, including loading the bases in the first. The best scoring chance, however, came in the sixth. Carly White led off with a double and was replaced by Kaitlyn Griffin, a special pinch runner. Griffin stole third on her own and headed for home when the throw to third sailed down the left field line. Griffin, who briefly became tangled with a fielder, was thrown out before reaching the plate.
The locals had another base runner on a strikeout and wild pitch and Kyleigh Knell followed with a base hit. The next batter flew out to center field and the runner at second was doubled off to end the threat.
Lydia Hill, Julia Crothers and Juliana Jones also had hits in the loss.
Perryville also lost Monday to New Jersey state champ West Cumberland Little League, 9-3. Perryville was down entering the final inning, 5-3, but three hits, two walks and one error allowed New Jersey to score four more runs.
Lewis was strapped with the loss, pitching four innings, allowing five runs and four hits while striking out three. Crothers pitched three innings, giving up five hits and four runs.
Perryville scored all three runs in the fourth. Krystle Schweers led off with a double and moved to third on Lydia Hill's bunt single. Crothers followed with a RBI single and Hill and Crothers both scored later on passed balls.
Knell added two hits in the loss and Megan Davidson also had a hit.
In their first two games at the tournament, the Maryland state champs from Perryville earned a first-round victory, 1-0, over the New York representatives on Friday, then dropped their Saturday engagement with Delaware, 10-5.
In Friday's first-round game, with the score tied 0-0 in the bottom of the seventh, Crothers drove teammate Hill home for the game-winning run with an RBI base hit.
Saturday's contest with Delaware saw Crothers drive in a pair of runs on two hits, while Hill scored one run and ripped two singles. Perryville's Griffin had a double, one RBI and scored once in the loss.
