The spotlight has been on the girls playing in the Mid-Atlantic Region Championship, and Taney Little League’s Mo’ne Davis embraced her moment to shine.
Newark National LL wasn’t able to score a run off of Mo’Ne during her six innings on the mound and Taney LL took home the win, 8-0, capturing the Mid-Atlantic Region Championship and the last spot in the Little League Baseball World Series field of 16 teams.
It is the first ever trip to South Williamsport for Taney Little League in only their second season since chartering in 2012.
The team from the Philly neighborhood adjacent to Fitler Square will be the 32nd team from the Keystone State to compete in their home state for a chance to claim the Little League Baseball World Series Championship Banner.
The Dragons will face the Southeastern Region champions, South Nashville (Tenn.) at 3 p.m. Friday at Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport, Pa.
With Taney Little League’s win, Mo’ne Davis will be the 18th girl to play in the Little League Baseball World Series, joining Emma March of the Canada Region Champions from South Vancouver LL, British Columbia. As Little League celebrates the 40th Anniversary of girls in Little League and the founding of Little League Softball, it is only the third time that two girls will play in the same Little League Baseball World Series.
In her performance at Breen Field in Bristol, Conn., Davis struck out six and allowed three walks and three hits.
Six runs in the first three innings helped the Pennsylvania Champions best the Delaware Champions, which represented the Mid-Atlantic Region in the 2013 Little League Baseball World Series. An RBI double by Jared Sprague-Lott, an RBI single by Zion Spearman, an RBI single by Jack Rice, and a steal of home by Spearman during the first inning and a two-run single by Sprague-Lott in the second inning fueled Taney LL’s offense early.
Sprague-Lott racked up three RBIs on two hits for Pennsylvania.
AJ Blanchard ended up on the wrong side of the pitching decision, charged with the loss. He allowed eight runs in four innings, walked two and struck out four.
The Mid-Atlantic Region Champions will face the Southeast Region Champions on Friday, Aug. 15, at 3 p.m. at Lamade Stadium, airing on ESPN. On Friday, Aug. 8, South Nashville LL from Tennessee won the Southeast Region Championship in Warner Robins, Ga. All games at the Little League Baseball World Series will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks, the Watch ESPN app or ABC.
The 68th Little League Baseball World Series begins on Thursday, Aug. 14 in South Williamsport, Pa., with the Championship Game scheduled for 3 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 24, airing on ABC. The World Series will culminate the year-long celebration of the 75th Anniversary of Little League. For more information on the Series and to follow the action live, visit LittleLeagueBigLegacy.com.
