Fairfield manager Dave McCartney said before the East Region Invitation started his goal was to have his girls get to the elimination round. The 9- and 10-year-old all-stars made Friday's semifinals, and are now just two wins away from winning the tournament.
Fairfield plays West Point Little League of Greensburg, Pa., Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Fleetsville, Pa. The winner advances to Saturday's championship game at 3:30. The loser goes to a consolation game at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Fairfield went 3-0 against New England teams in pool play, outscoring opponents by a 34-5 margin with two shutouts. Pennsylvania went 3-1 in the Mid-Atlantic Region to grab the No. 2 seed behind New York. Rhode Island earned the No. 2 seed in the New England Region and will play New York, the No. 1 seed from the Mid-Atlantic, on Friday at 8 p.m.
"We're ready and we're looking forward to it,'' coach Doug Romero said Thursday night. "Pennsylvania's a very good hitting team. I would say they are the best team coming out of the Mid-Atlantic."
Fairfield will try to stymie Pennsylvania with Romero's daughter, Brittany, who pitched a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts in Tuesday's 4-0 win over Maine. She struck out the first 11 batters she faced, and only 19 hitters, one over the minimum, came to the plate.
Fairfield has looked like a confident bunch in the tournament, and the team has enjoyed the experience, Doug Romero said. "They're willing to take on the challenge,'' he said. "They're just having a good time."
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