Thornydale ace Kenzie Scott struck out 11 batters, including the side in the bottom of the sixth, to lead her team to a 1-0 victory Wednesday night over Northern California in the Little League Softball West Regional semifinal game at San Bernardino, Calif.
Thornydale, 3-0 in the tournament, will play either Northern California or Southern California in the championship game Friday at 5:45 p.m. on ESPN. The winner advances to the Little League World Series at Greenville, N.C., starting Aug. 3. Willcox, from Southern Arizona, advanced that far last year.
Northern California and Southern California play Thursday night at 5:45 in the elimination-bracket final game on ESPN.
Scott allowed only one hit, a bloop fly that made it over the second baseman’s head, and walked just one batter in her complete-game shutout of Northern California.
She struck out five of the last six batters she faced.
After the Northern California manager asked for a review of catcher’s interference — although it was not interference — after the first batter in the sixth inning fouled off a pitch, Scott maintained composure following the three-minute wait during the review. She proceeded to fan the last three batters.
Thornydale scored its lone run off Northern California’s Charlotte Dudek in the top of the fifth.
Paisley Perkins led off with a single — only one of three hits allowed by Dudek — and stole second base. Perkins ran home when Aubrey Neighbors’ hit toward shortstop rolled into left field.
Scott, who is trained by CDO coach Kelly Fowler and Arizona legend Alicia Hollowell, issued her lone walk with one out in the bottom of the fifth. She struck out the next batter. The inning ended on a ground out.
Fowler, whose daughter Kenzie is a legendary Arizona pitcher as well, also trains last year’s Little League sensation, Hattie Macumber of Willcox.
In the three games of the regional, Scott has a 1.36 ERA with 19 strikeouts and five walks in 17 2/3 innings. She is also batting .429 with a team-high five RBIs.
Tristyn Pogue leads Thornydale with a .667 batting average, followed by Perkins’ .571.
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