Berkshire Force Drops into Consolation Bracket at World Series
FLORENCE, Ala. -- The Kinston, N.C., 12-and-under softball team Monday scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to finish off a 15-5, four-inning win over the Berkshire Force in the quarter-finals of the Babe Ruth World Series.
Kinston moves on to Tuesday evening's semi-final round at the Florence SportsPlex.
The Force, which fell to 3-3 in the tournament, moves into the World Series' Diamond Bracket. It will begin play in the consolation bracket on Tuesday afternoon against either Terry County, Texas, or Davidson, N.C., who play on Tuesday morning.
On Monday, the Force won its first game of the bracket play to advance to the quarters.
Olivia Archambault and Cassidy Flynn split time in the circle, striking out seven in a 10-3, five-inning win over the representatives from Australia.
Berkshire broke the game open with a six-run fifth inning to take a 10-2 lead.
The Force got just two hits -- from Addison Farkas and Lillian Pudelko -- but took advantage of seven errors, five walks and a pair of wild pitches given up by the Aussies.
Berkshire also applied pressure on the basepaths, getting stolen bases from Flynn, Giannah Moses and Stella Matthews in the win.
In the next round, Kinston, which went 4-0 in pool play, erased an early 1-0 deficit and never looked back.
Flynn drove in a run in the top of the first to give the Force a 1-0 lead.
Kinston respnded with two runs in the bottom of the inning and took a 3-1 lead into the third.
Berkshire got one of those runs back when Moses tripled with two out to drive in a run.
But Kinston's pitcher left her at third base, and her team rewarded her with seven runs in the bottom of the inning.
Berkshire rallied for three in the top of the fourth to get within five runs at 10-5, but Kinston scored five in the bottom of the inning to end the game.
Alexandra Witherell and Archambault also doubled in the loss. Flynn and Witherell each went 2-for-2 at the plate.
