The Pittston Area 8-10 softball All-Stars have gone 3-0 as the host team this week at the Little League Eastern Regional Championship. They will have two chances to win the title on Saturday.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
The Pittston Area 8-10 All-Stars are happy to be in this position, no matter the opponent.
But Saturday’s regional championship round is a little more special because it will feature the two squads from Pennsylvania meeting at the end of a 10-team bracket.
Tournament host Pittston Area takes on Pennsylvania state champion Caln Township for the Little League Eastern Regional Softball Championship at 10:30 a.m. at the Mountain Top Little League.
Undefeated at 3-0 in the double-elimination event, Pittston Area will have two chances to claim the title. If Caln Township wins the first game, the teams will play a winner-take-all rematch at 1 p.m.
“I’d love to see an all-(Pennsylvania) final,” Pittston Area manager Bill Kroski said Thursday after his team secured a spot in the championship round.
That’s exactly what happened on Friday, as Caln Township won two games to earn a meeting with Pittston Area. Caln Township edged Toms River (N.J.) 1-0 in the morning game before avenging its only loss in the tournament by beating Cranston Western (R.I.) 6-2 in the elimination bracket finals.
Pittston Area, which won the District 16 title and took the automatic berth into regionals as the host team, quickly proved it belonged on the big stage, defeating the state champions from New York (South Shore), Delaware (MOT) and Rhode Island (Cranston Western).
LITTLE LEAGUE 8-10 SOFTBALL EASTERN REGIONAL
(all games at Mountain Top LL)
Monday’s Results
Cranston Western (R.I.) 13, Gorham (Maine) 3
MOT (Del.) 4, Toms River (N.J.) 0
Caln Twp. (Pa.) 8, Champlain (Vt.) 0
Pittston Area 11 South Shore (N.Y.) 5, 8 inn.
Tuesday’s Results
Cranston Western (R.I.) 13, Jesse Burkett (Mass.) 2
MOT (Del.) 6, Tri-City (Md.) 3
Toms River (N.J.) 4, Champlain (Vt.) 1
South Shore (N.Y.) 10, Gorham (Maine) 0
Eliminated: Champlain (Vt.), Gorham (Maine)
Wednesday’s Results
Elimination Bracket
Toms River (N.J.) 4, Jesse Burkett (Mass.) 3
South Shore (N.Y.) 15, Tri-City (Md.) 0
Winners Bracket
Cranston Western (R.I.) 5, Caln Twp. (Pa.) 3
Pittston Area 8, MOT (Del.) 2
Thursday’s Results
Elimination Bracket
Caln Twp. (Pa.) 6, South Shore (N.Y.) 4
Toms River (N.J.) 9, MOT (Del.) 7
Caln Twp. (Pa.) vs. Toms River (N.J.), ppd.
Winners Bracket
Pittston Area 5, Cranston Western (R.I.) 4
Friday’s Results
Caln Twp. (Pa.) 1, Toms River (N.J.) 0
Caln (Pa.) 6, Cranston Western (R.I.) 2
Saturday
Pittston Area vs. Caln (Pa.), 10:30 a..m.
If Pittston Area loses, Pittston Area vs. Caln (Pa.), 1 p.m.
