Greater Wyoming Area celebrates its win over Maine in the Little League Junior Softball East Region tournament at Wilkes University.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Maine shortstop Claire Moore drops the ball as Greater Wyoming Area’s Janaee Fattorusso is safe at second in the third inning.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Maine catcher Addison Cirard was late with the tag as Greater Wyoming Area’s Ashlee Gustitus slides into home in the third inning.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Greater Wyoming Area’s Londyn Sobeck pitched a complete game against Maine, striking out 10.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Maine’s Greenlee Harmon gets tagged out by Greater Wyoming Area third baseman Gianna Cook as she attempts to steal third in the seventh inning.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
EDWARDSVILLE — Greater Wyoming Area used a huge inning to produce a huge victory Friday afternoon.
GWA scored seven times in the third inning and then held off several comeback bids by Maine champion Ellsworth for a 10-5 win in a Little League Junior Softball East Region elimination game at Wilkes University.
GWA received an automatic spot in the East Region because it is from the host area. It consists of girls who played on GWA’s District 31 Major Softball team and Wyoming Area’s junior high squad.
Host teams usually don’t fare well in tournaments consisting of state champions, so the win was quite an accomplishment.
“It’s huge,” GWA manager Walt Stevens said. “We played yesterday and we got beat, but it was only 9-5. We scored five runs and held a state champ to nine runs.
“Today we won by scoring 10 runs and that’s amazing. This is huge for our girls. They should be proud to play in this tournament with state champs and show off the skills they have.”
GWA will now try to stay alive when it plays the New York champion at noon Saturday at Wilkes.
GWA sent all 11 players to the plate in the third as it scored seven times. Gianna Fattorusso, Harlee Pavlico and Lillian Miscavage each had an RBI single. Ashlee Gustitus added her first RBI double of the game. A few Maine errors helped out as well.
Maine pecked at the 7-0 deficit with two runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings. GWA, though, got a run in each of those innings.
Gianna Fattorusso hit an RBI triple in the fourth, scoring Janaee Fattorusso, who had singled. Gustitus’ second RBI double scored Brooke Turner, who had singled, in the fifth.
GWA starter Londyn Sobeck also prevented Maine from making a big dent into her team’s lead. She finished with 10 strikeouts and kept Maine hitless until the fourth inning.
“Londyn is a great leader on the field. She has a great defense to back her up,” Stevens said. “She is a born leader and takes command on the mound.”
GWA right fielder Janaee Fattorusso had the defensive gem, sliding to her knees to snag a flyball in the first inning. Catcher Josclyn Fronczek threw out a runner trying to steal third in the seventh.
Junior Softball East Region
Greater Wyoming Area 10, Maine 5
Maine`AB`R`H`BI
Jacobs p`3`2`1`0
Hardison cf`3`0`2`3
L.Gasper 1b`3`0`0`0
Cyr rf`2`0`0`0
A.Gasper 3b`1`1`1`0
Harmon 2b`3`0`1`0
Moore ss`3`0`0`0
Miltner eh`2`1`0`0
DeRevere lf`1`0`0`0
Cirard c`2`0`0`0
Sekulich eh`2`0`0`0
Carter eh`1`1`0`0
Hall eh`2`0`0`0
Totals`28`5`5`3
Greater Wyo. Area`AB`R`H`BI
G.Fattorusso ss`4`1`2`2
Pavlico lf-eh`4`1`0`1
Turner 2b`4`2`1`0
Gustitus 1b`2`1`2`2
Sobeck p`3`1`2`0
Cook eh-3b`3`0`0`0
Miscavage cf`3`0`1`1
Jimmerson eh-lf`3`0`0`0
Fronczek c`2`1`1`0
J.Fattorusso rf`2`2`1`0
Evans 3b-eh`3`1`0`0
Totals`33`10`10`6
Maine` `000`221`0 — 5
Greater Wyo. Area` `007`111`x — 10
2B — Gustitus 2. 3B — G.Fattorusso.
Maine`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Jacobs (L)`6`10`10`3`1`11
GWA`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO
Sobeck (W)`7`5`5`3`6`10
