Massapequa wins thriller to open Little League Softball World Series

The Massapequa International 12U team made its Little League Softball World Series debut Monday night in Greenville, North Carolina, with a thrilling 6-5 win over Connecticut in the first game of the double-elimination quarterfinals.

Massapequa will face Puerto Rico on Thursday at 6 p.m. for a chance to advance to the semifinals. The game will be on ESPN2.

Down 5-4 in the top of the fifth, Massapequa took the lead when Emmerson Moore tripled with two outs to drive in Eden Tesoriere and Jocelyn Vandenberg.

“She has had such a hot bat in practice, all she needed to do was show what she could do,” manager Rich Eaton said. “I expected her to hit the ball hard, and it was just perfect.”

Emily Speringo’s RBI single put Connecticut on the board in the bottom of the first. Massapequa scored four runs in the third as Moore tripled, Alexis Fontana singled, Olivia Feldman tripled and Sienna Erker grounded out, with each driving in a run.

Connecticut scored four runs in the fourth to take a 5-4 lead, but Massapequa then showed why it belongs on the biggest stage in Little League softball.

“This was the most nervous I’ve ever seen them. It didn’t surprise me,” Eaton said. “This was their first game, unlike Connecticut, who had already experienced their first-game jitters. Connecticut is also one of the best-hitting teams in the tournament, and we knew that. I’m just proud of the way the girls shook off their nerves and battled until the end.”

Fontana struck out three in the first two innings before Feldman stepped in to strike out three more. Grace Weber struck out six for Connecticut.

Eaton added: “Our defense and pitching has been great all year. I think we will play top- notch the rest of the tournament. There’s no more nerves for them, only smiles.”