The District 4 Junior League softball team lost a 14-0 mercy-rule shortened decision to Mid-Atlantic champions West Point Little League on Thursday morning at Stankye Field in Orange.
With the victory, West Point, the Pennsylvania champions out of Greensburg, Pa., earned a spot in the Junior League World Series at Everest Park in Kirkland, Wash. starting on Aug. 10.
West Point had a 4-0 lead after four innings, then blew the game wide open with 10 runs in the top of the fifth inning to invoke the mercy rule. District 4 hurt itself by committing four errors in the frame, as West Point sent 16 batters to the plate and banged out six hits.
The lone base hit for District 4, the New England champion, came with two outs in the bottom of the first, when Amanda Mendillo singled through the right side past the dive of first baseman Maddie Uschock.
West Point's Morgan Ryan didn't allow another base runner the rest of the way, striking out nine batters and walking none.
For the full game story, check out next week's Mirror.