World Series championship game Wednesday, but that seven-run eruption in the
third was enough to get by Midway Little League of Waco, Texas, 7-5 at Alpenrose
Stadium.
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Sterling completed an undefeated World Series, bringing home the first championship for the state of Illinois since 1985.
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Sterling right fielder Shannon Long fought back tears as she described her feelings after the game.
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"I'm so happy and relieved, and just very grateful that I have an awesome team behind me," said Long, who had two hits in the final.
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Hannah Escamilla racked up three hits and two RBIs for a balanced Sterling offense, which got hits from nine of its 11 players.
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Heading into the bottom of the third, however, Midway had all the momentum -- and a 3-0 lead.
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"We had been putting up some hits in the first couple of innings but weren't scoring," said Sterling manager Eric Staples. "I told our girls to relax, keep hitting the ball, and good things will happen."
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The good things came in bunches for Sterling, which erupted with eight hits in the seven-run rally to take the lead for good. The Illinois team sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning, and took advantage of two key errors to stun the Southwest Region representatives.
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Midway responded with two runs in the top of the fourth inning to make it 7-5, but Sterling got out of a bases-loaded jam with one out to preserve the lead.
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Midway came up just short in a bid for its 12th world championship. Jordyn Baugh had two hits, including an RBI triple, for the Waco club.
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"It's disappointing right now, because I think we gave the game away in the third inning," Midway manager Tommy Coskrey said. "I feel for our girls because they expected to win, but they played great overall and I couldn't be prouder to have coached them."
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Sterling outhit Midway 15-8 and didn't commit an error in the field. The final was a rematch of the first game of pool play, which Sterling won 2-0 last Thursday.
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Just as important as the competition on the field, the camaraderie shared by the 10 teams from around the world shined through during the closing ceremony. Players from opposing teams took photos with each other, exchanged phone numbers and hugged. Some cried as they embraced, realizing they had to leave their new friends.
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"It's just great knowing that there's other people out there around the world who have the same interests and talent as you," Long said.
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In an example of the international friendships that are made, the entire team from Italy sat with Sterling's fans and held up signs of support.
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Staples, who came to Portland for the World Series in 2008 as a spectator while his oldest daughter competed, said he assured other Sterling parents in advance that they'd "fall in love" with the city when they arrived.
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"This is such a beautiful area, it's unfortunate I have to go home tomorrow and go back to work," he said.
West 10, Oregon 3: Willow Creek of Beaverton fell to Westchester, Calif., in the seventh-place game, 10-3. Emma Williams had a hit, a run scored and three stolen bases for the Oregon District 4 champions, who finished the tournament at 1-4. Westchester pounded out 14 hits and scored in every inning.
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--Scott Sepich
Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/08/little_league_softball_world_s_16.html
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