Snohomish wins second straight at Little League World Series

Published 12:28 pm Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Snohomish stayed alive in the Little League World Series behind a dominant performance from Madison Locke on Tuesday in Greenville, North Carolina.

Locke struck out 12 during a six-inning complete game from the pitching circle and batted 2-for-3 with an RBI and run in a 9-1 win over Canada.

“I was feeling really confident in my stuff today because everything was working,” Locke said on the ESPN2 TV broadcast after the game.

Janessa Malone starred at the plate for Snohomish, driving in two runs and scoring once on a perfect 3-for-3 day.

Next up for Washington is a noon Friday game on ESPN2 against Thursday’s Southeast-North Carolina loser.

Snohomish, blanked 14-0 in Sunday’s tournament opener, has responded with two straight wins in the double-elimination tournament. The winner of Friday’s game advances to a Saturday semifinal with the championship game scheduled for Sunday.

“We’ve been so much more energized,” Locke said of the past two games, “and we’ve just been so much better as a team.”

Snohomish took advantage of Canadian miscues in the second inning to score the game’s first run.

Harlow Knisley reached on a Canada throwing error, and advanced to third on Malone’s single. Canada attempted to pick off Knisley at third, and she scored when the throw sailed into foul territory.

In the third inning, a two-out error by Canada proved costly. Jaliyah Watts hit a comebacker to pitcher Livia Hardy, but Canada was unable to catch the ball at first base. Watts advanced to second, and trotted home on Locke’s double.

Jocelynn Day followed with an RBI single to left field. Madison Tawney singled to move Day to third, and Day made it 4-0 when she came home on Canada’s fourth error.

Snohomish, which struggled defensively in the series opener, played near-perfect defense on Wednesday, committing just one inconsequential error.

Canada got its first hit of the game in the third inning on a two-out bunt single, but Locke bounced back with her eighth strikeout to close out the frame.

In the fourth, Washington’s Kaia Alanah Hoolulu was hit by a pitch and went to second on a passed ball. Malone drove her in with a single to right for a 5-0 advantage. After a one-out walk by Ella Bowers, Layla Bailey drove in two more for a 7-0 lead with what was ruled a double that went under a Canadian glove in left field.

Canada finally broke through Locke’s armor in the fourth, stringing together three singles to score its lone run. Locke responded with her 10th strikeout to strand two runners and preserve a six-run lead.

Washington tacked on two more runs for a 9-1 lead in the sixth via Knisley and Malone RBI-singles.