Lake Mary dominates Italy, builds momentum for matchup vs. North Carolina

GREENVILLE, N.C. —

One run-rule victory may be luck. Back-to-back run-rule victories? That’s a statement.

The Lake Mary softball team has brought the bats needed to dominate the Little League Softball World Series. On Sunday, Lake Mary defeated the Washington team representing the Northwest Region. Fans waited until Monday to see whether Lake Mary could repeat that performance against Bologna, Italy. Needless to say, they did not have to wait long.

Lake Mary came out swinging in the top of the first inning, putting pressure on Italy early. Lake Mary scored three runs to open the game, highlighted by Callie Ousley’s RBI single and Kylie Green’s two-run double.

Ousley has had an exceptional tournament, proving to be a key presence in Lake Mary’s lineup. She has done most of her damage in the early innings, delivering timely hits that helped fuel the team’s biggest rallies.

Perhaps the most influential moment in Monday’s game was Lake Mary’s seven-run second inning, which all but put the game away. A series of walks put runners on base early, creating opportunities for hitters such as Aria Tormos and Avery Little. Tormos delivered a two-run single to extend the lead before Little added a two-run double. Little went 6 for 6 across Lake Mary’s first two tournament games, emerging as one of the team’s hottest hitters. Her consistency has been another driving force behind Lake Mary’s early success.

Although Lake Mary defeated both Bologna and Washington via run rule, the two victories unfolded in different ways.

On Sunday, Washington’s defensive miscues helped Lake Mary build its commanding lead. Although Lake Mary consistently made solid contact and produced runs, Northwest’s errors extended innings and magnified the damage.

But in Monday’s game, Lake Mary proved it did not need to rely on its opponent’s mistakes to create offense. Italy committed only one error, allowing Parker Gorondy to reach base in the second inning. Gorondy later scored, but Lake Mary generated most of its offense through timely hitting, disciplined at-bats and aggressive baserunning. That ability to manufacture its own runs will be critical in Tuesday’s matchup against North Carolina, which is seeking redemption after losing to Lake Mary in the regional tournament.

Celebrations following another run.

Now, let’s turn to pitching, which has been the team’s driving force. Simply put, Lake Mary has brought its best stuff. Opposing hitters have struggled against Chloe Cheek and Brynn Fieser, who have combined for 15 strikeouts, seven scoreless innings and only three walks. Cheek relied more on her defense in Sunday’s game, recording five outs on balls in play. Fieser generated more swings and misses Monday, recording eight of her nine outs against Italy via strikeout.

Lake Mary’s back-to-back wins have shown they can dominate in every aspect of the game. The offense has delivered timely hits throughout the lineup, while the pitching staff has overpowered hitters and kept runners at bay, and the defense has flashed the leather when an opponent gets the chance to make contact. Lake Mary will carry plenty of momentum into Tuesday’s game as it pursues a 3-0 record and a spot in Sunday’s Little League Softball World Series championship game.