By Aaron Coe
For The Herald
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — So close.
The Mill Creek Little League All-Stars lost an extra-innings, 1-0 heartbreaker to Utah on Friday night to fall just short of the Little League Softball World Series.
Utah’s Sidney Webster hit a two-out, RBI-single down the right-field line in the bottom of 8th inning for the West Regional Tournament championship game victory. Mill Creek’s season ended with a 4-1 record in the tournament, and 12-1 overall.
“The only time in 13 games we’ve been behind is when that last run scored to beat us,” Mill Creek coach Daryl Stevens said. “Just an awesome effort by all the girls.”
Mill Creek’s Simone Williams and Utah’s Payton Lister dominated in the circle throughout the tournament, and that pattern continued on Friday. Williams struck out 15 and Lister fanned 12.
Williams credited Mill Creek’s defense — errorless in the championship game — for much of her success this season.
“They were hard-working and they did really good,” said Williams, who pitched all 69 2/3 innings of Mill Creek’s innings and recorded 111 strikeouts. “They never let me down when I let someone hit the ball.”
Lister issued both of her walks to Deirdre Delgado, who also singled. Alexis Sicairos and Heleina Ah-Loe contributed to Mill Creek’s three hits.
Despite the gut-wrenching loss, Stevens lauded the girls’ run to district and state championships, as well as coming close to adding a regional title.
“It started Day 1, the very first practice,” Stevens said. “I could see the talent level that we had, and that this group was something special.”
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