Willcox, the West representatitve in the Little League Softball World Series, will play Asia-Pacific in the elimination bracket on Tuesday after losing 3-0 to New England on Monday morning at Greenville, N.C.
The loss was Willcox’s first after going 12-0 in the District 8, Arizona and West Regional tournaments as well as the first-round win in the LLSWS over Mid-Atlantic on Sunday.
Willcox will play Asia-Pacific at 4 p.m., Tucson time, on ESPN 2.
New England, a team from Cranston, R.I., scored its runs against Willcox in the second and third innings takind advantage of errors while its starter Isabella Marcano was impeccable in the circle.
Marcano allowed three hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
“We were off today,” Willcox manager Patrick Macumber mentioned to AllSportsTucson.com. “The girls were making mistakes that they normally don’t. I made a big mistake myself being off on the count (of one of his team’s pitches). We will need to refocus and come back better tomorrow night.”
Willcox ace Hattie Macumber, Patrick Macumber’s daughter, allowed five hits in five innings with two earned runs, two walks and seven strikeouts. She was coming off a 15-strikeout performance in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Mid-Atlantic.
New England took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after leadoff batter Lawson Bastia reached on an error. After Bastia went to second on a wild pitch, Olivia Graziano hit a single that scored Bastia.
The lead mounted to 3-0 in the third inning following consecutive singles by Laila Murphy and Lylah Riley. When Riley hit her single, a throwing error from the outfield allowed both of them to run home.
Willcox’s biggest threat was with one out in the fifth inning when Julie Larson reached on an error, Josey Benavides hit a single and Daylin Medrano walked to load the bases. The rally ended with a double play.
Larson, Benavides and Genesis Quezada were the players who recorded hits off Marcano.
New England advances to the next round of the winners bracket Thursday at 10 a.m. against the winner of Monday’s game between Europe-Africa and North Carolina.
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