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Little League Baseball

Little League Softball

Little League Challenger Division
 > Little League Online > Media > News Archive > 2007 > Maunabo, Puerto Rico Wins Junior Softball World Series

Maunabo, Puerto Rico Wins Junior Softball World Series

Editor’s note: Complete scores from all the games can be found here at http://www.littleleague.org/series/2007divisions/jlsb/series.htm
KIRKLAND, Wash. – The Latin America Region champions from Maunabo, Puerto Rico are world champions after winning the Junior Softball World Series with a convincing 16-6 triumph over Westchester-Del Ray Little League from Westchester, Calif., at Everest Park in Kirkland, Wash.

Through pool play, the East Region champion from Haverstraw Little League, and the South Region champion East Surry Little League from Pilot Mountain, N.C., both finished 4-0. Also advancing to the semifinals were the Latin America champs (3-1) and the West Region winners (2-2) who earned second place over the Central Region champions (2-2) from Boardman Little League in Boardman, Ohio, due to the head-to-head tie-breaker.

In Friday’s semifinal games, the West Region defeated the South Region, 3-1, and Latin America posted a 2-1 win over the East Region champions.
In the championship game, Puerto Rico’s winning pitcher, Nemesis Vega, kept the West at bay despite the California team rallying twice to tie the game. Leading 10-6 in the sixth inning, Puerto Rico’s Diana Rivera threw Gilly Childs out at the plate, ending the West’s scoring opportunity. In the top of the seventh inning, Vega’s teammates, Kiara Nazario and Karla Claudio hit run-scoring doubles, to secure the championship for Latin America.

The championship game, televised live on ESPNU, was attended by Kirkland Mayor Jim Lauinger; Heather Tarr, head coach for the University of Washington’s softball team; Rose Folder-Powell, former Women’s Professional Baseball League pitcher from the Kenosha Comets; and Tim Hughes, chairman of the Little League International Board of Directors..