Henderson-Vance girls among final four


Henderson-Vance has a simple if daunting task after winning an elimination game at the Babe Ruth World Series for 12-and-under girls softball Thursday in Cherry Hill, N.J.: Win two games today to reach the finals, then win two Saturday to claim the championship.

Henderson-Vance advanced to the World Series’ final four with a 6-4 victory over Belle Chasse, La.

Victoria Burwell, Jessica Rowland and Julia Sumner each went 2 for 3 at the plate to lead a nine-hit Henderson-Vance attack. The team also benefited from six Louisiana errors while scoring in every inning except the second.

Allison Perry was the winning pitcher, giving up three runs in the third and one in the fifth while scattering eight singles and three walks over 4 1/3 innings.

Rowland replaced Perry with one out and runners on second and third in the fifth inning and struck out the next two batters to preserve what was then a one-run lead.

Back-to-back two-out singles by Sumner and Brooke Pulley scored Natalie Reavis with an unearned insurance run in the top of the sixth, and Rowland struck out three more Louisiana hitters in the bottom of the inning to earn the save.

Henderson-Vance is now 2-1 in the championship bracket and 5-2 overall at the World Series.

The team plays Chesterton, Ind., in another elimination game at 2:30 this afternoon. The Indiana team survived by knocking out host Cherry Hill 1-0 a day after Henderson-Vance hammered Cherry Hill 13-3. Henderson-Vance beat Chesterton 6-5 Tuesday to close pool play.

The winner plays Stamford, Conn., around 5 p.m. for a spot in the final. After beating Henderson-Vance 2-1 in 10 innings Wednesday, Stamford lost 13-3 to Sparta, N.J., Thursday.

Sparta, unbeaten in six games at the World Series, advanced to Saturday’s final and will need to win one of two games that day to take the title.