Delta County Jr. Girls Rally Into Regional Final, 3-2

SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill.---It hasn't been pretty, but the Delta County Junior Little League All-Stars (age 13-14) keep finding ways to survive in the quest for a trip to the Junior Softball World Series. For the second straight game on Wednesdsay, the Delta County girls put on a late rally to win a game, this time, 3-2 over Des Moines, Iowa.

And this win sends the girls into the Central Regional Championship Game on Thursday against the team they rallied to beat on Tuesday: Clay County, Kentucky.

"This is the way the whole tournament has been for us," Escanaba Coach Tim Lehto said. "It's been these really tight games, and I'll tell you what. This group of kids just have an unbelievable amount of determination and heart.

"There's just absolutely no 'give up' in any of these kids, even when we got to a spot where we had to put runs on the board."

They had to rally late because of mistakes earlier in the game.

In the second inning, Maddy Griffin was hit by a pitch and Gabi Salo singled. Jenna Tardiff ran for Salo, and a passed ball had the girls and second and third.

Andi Balenger bunted, but Griffin was in a pickle between second and third and was tagged out. A moment later, Tardiff was picked off of first base to end the inning.

"We told the girls that this is all a learning experience," Lehto said. "We become better and better when we make those mistakes. It didn't cost us the game, so we pick up from where we are and we move forward."

Delta County took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Serina Sinnaeve singled and scored all the way from first on a dropped fly ball in right field.

"I liked it, so I just went for it and hit it as hard as I could," Sinnaeve said, then added, "I just knew that I could make it home."

It looked like that one run might be enough because Salo was dominant in the pitcher's circle. She struck out ten of the first 15 batters she faced, and had a no-hitter going in the fifth inning.

With two out, Destiny Butters broke up the no-no with a double.

Heather Bergstrom RBI double ties game

In the sixth inning, things went bad for Delta County. Ashley Herman beat out an infield single, stole scecond, and went to third on a ground out. With two out, Darian Hudson hit a slow roller up the first base line that stayed fair for an infield single.

That tied the game at 1-1, and Carissa Boley followed with a booming triple to the fence that gave Des Moines the 2-1 lead. Salo ended the inning with a strike out.

"I knew that of we could get out of that inning, the team would come through and we would score," Salo said.

In the bottom of the sixth, Natalie Hansen led off with an infield single. She was erased off the bases on a Sydney Herioux ground ball.

After Griffin flew out for the second out, Heather Bergstrom smoked a double into the left field corner to tie the game.

After Salo pitched a 1-2-3 top of the seventh, Balenger led off the bottom of the inning with a base hit to center field. Chloe Caswell did her job with a nice sacrafice bunt. Amber Lenards popped up for the second out, but Sinnaeve did her job by ripping a shot off of the second baseman's glove.

"I really thought she had it, but then she dropped it!" Sinnaeve said.

Tardiff, running for Balenger, came to third base and briefly stopped. Then everyone who wasn't wearing the Iowa red, white, and blue yelled "Go Jenna!!!"

Jenna Tardiff scores winning run in bottom 7th

"Sometimes, a kid will just get caught up in the moment, and that's what happened there," Lehto said. "We were just trying to encourage her to get it going! And she's got wheels and she can pick the pace up, so we were in good shape."

Tardiff scored to a wild celebration, sending Delta County into the regional final.

Tardiff and Sinnaeve have switched off for each other at the top of the order throughout this tournament. And they both have contributed, as Sinnaeve did on the bases for the first run, and Tardiff did on the bases for the final run.

"We've gotten great participation from our supporting girls that are out there," Lehto said. "And we have a lot of confidence in everyone there. It's not like we have to try to hide somebody. They're just all great kids."

And about his decision to send Sinnaeve all the way from first base on that drop?

"Serina has great wheels. She is so fast, and in a tight game like this, we just wanted to take advantage of any opportunity we could."

Salo threw all seven innings, as usual. She allowed four hits, only two of them out of the infield. She struck out 13 batters and walked one.

"My change-up was working really good today, and I was just locating the ball," Salo said. "It feels amazing. I've never been to a regional tournament, so to be in the championship is even better."

Natalie Hansen diving catch at plate

Ashley Herman took the loss for Des Moines Grandview Little League, allowing six hits and only one earned run.

The result sends Delta County into the regional championship game on Thursday against Clay County, Kentucky. The Kentucky state champions held on at the end of their semifinal game, beating Franklin, Wisconsin, 9-7.

The Delta County-Clay County championship game will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com. The broadcast will start with the pre-game show after the 4:00 news on Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 ET.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos and videos taken by the Balengers, and to hear post-game radio interviews.