10 Photos
Lydia Rowan pitched all nine innings for the 12U All-Stars on Monday. KYRIL BROMLEY
Olivia Dodge tries to beat out a throw to first base. KYRIL BROMLEY
Olivia Dodge slides safely into second base. KYRIL BROMLEY
Lydia Rowan tries to tag out a North Shore player attempting to score. KYRIL BROMLEY
Ella Abran at the plate for East Hampton. KYRIL BROMLEY
Emily Hurtado comes in to score for East Hampton. KYRIL BROMLEY
Olivia Dodge comes around to score. KYRIL BROMLEY
Paige Daniels crosses the plate for a run. KYRIL BROMLEY
Colleen McKee gets set for a pitch. KYRIL BROMLEY
Hailey Rigby receives a throw at third base. KYRIL BROMLEY
The East Hampton Little League 12-and-under softball All-Stars staved off elimination in the District 36 Tournament by defeating North Shore Little League, 9-8, in extra innings at the East Hampton High School varsity softball field on Monday evening.
North Shore had defeated East Hampton, 8-4, in the opening game of the best-of-three series this past Saturday in Rocky Point. With the series knotted at one game apiece, the third and deciding game will be played this Thursday, July 1, but an exact location and time had not been decided as of press time.
Annemarie Brown, East Hampton’s varsity softball coach, happens to also be the manager of the 12U team, coaching alongside both Brian Stuckart and Joe McKee this summer. Brown said despite trailing 8-0 in the opening game, her team eventually got used to the fast pitching of North Shore and scored four runs before eventually taking the loss.
“The girls have not been used to that fast of pitching in our Little League, so it took them a while to come around and hit the ball,” Brown said.
Both teams had more than enough offense in game two in East Hampton on Monday. With the game tied, 6-6, after seven, the game went into extra innings where the international tie-breaking rule comes into place and teams start with a runner on second base to start each inning. North Shore scored two runs in the top of the ninth to take the lead, but East Hampton had the final at bats.
With Lilah Brown on second base to start the inning, she stole third and was brought in on a single by Colleen McKee. Then Ella Abran reached on a base hit that scored McKee to tie the game. With Abran on third base, Olivia Dodge hit a ball to the shortstop that allowed Abran to score the game-winning run.
Lydia Rowan pitched all nine innings for East Hampton and struck out eight batters.
“If was definitely a team effort,” Coach Brown said.
Ella Abran, Lilah Brown, Paige Daniels, Olivia Dodge, Emily Hurtado, Brynley Lys, Colleen McKee, Hailey Rigby, Lydia Rowan, Aisyln Short and Carli Stuckard make up this year’s 12U squad.
East Hampton is the only Little League on the South Fork that entered all four teams in the District 36 Tournament, which ultimately leads to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and Little League Softball World Series in Greenville, North Carolina. East Hampton’s 10-and-under softball team will play the winner of North Shore and Eastport-South Manor Little Leagues, which was played Wednesday, in a best-of-three series starting this Friday, July 2, at a location to be determined at 5:45 p.m. That series will continue July 7 with the third game, if needed, the following day.
East Hampton has also entered 12U and 10U baseball teams that began pool play this past Saturday and continues this week. Additional information on both teams was not provided.
