The Pennsylvania state champs from West Suburban Little League added another banner at Nanticoke Area Little League on Monday, capturing the Junior League East Region Softball championship in dominant fashion.
Olivia O’Roark pitched five scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and added a solo homer in the third inning as Pennsylvania defeated New Jersey 12-0 in the regional championship game Monday evening.
It was the second win for the West Suburban team over New Jersey in the span of a few hours, after picking up a 15-0 victory in the winners bracket final on Monday morning.
The New Jersey squad, representing Ridgewood Little League, played their way to the final with a 5-4 win over Delaware immediately following their first loss to Pennsylvania.
To win the title, Pennsylvania posted their third shutout in four games at the East Region tournament, scoring six runs in the top of the sixth inning to turn a fairly close championship game into a rout by the time the final out was made.
O’Roark entered Monday’s title game having allowed just one hit and zero runs through her first two appearances on the mound for Pennsylvania.
She covered five scoreless innings against New Jersey with just one hit allowed, striking out 10. Kylie Ferguson pitched a scoreless, hitless sixth inning to lock down the regional title for Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania offense had 14 hits in their championship win, including a team-high three on a triple and two singles for Jerzy Bopp.
Ferguson, Bryn Roberts and Kylie Sweeney had two hits each for Pennsylvania, including a double for Sweeney. O’Roark provided the power with her third inning home run.
Kelly McCarren had the lone hit of the game for New Jersey. In New Jersey’s win over Delaware earlier in the day, Birdie Roiz had two hits and Sasha Semeniak had two RBI.
The Pennsylvania squad will advance to the Junior League Softball World Series, held in Kirkland, Wash. starting on Aug. 2.
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