Area team punches Little League championship ticket, will play Virginia on Thursday
Aug. 18—Before he began coaching as a career, Johnny Hutchens worked in the oil pipeline industry near Williamsport, Pa., home of the baseball Little League World Series.
He and his daughter Juliana would go watch games there and talk about one day being able to do the same thing.
It's not baseball — Juliana has played that too — its softball, and it's 469 miles south in Greenville, N.C. But the two along with the rest of the Green Country All-Stars have not only spent a week basking in it, they'll play for a championship on Wednesday after eliminating Columbia, Mo., 7-0 in the Little League Softball World Series semifinals on Tuesday.
"We were out there for about two years," said the coach about his Pennsylvania stay, which took place before coaching stints at Muskogee and now, Wagoner. "We'd go out and watch, play catch and talk about one day being able to do this."
Some have missed the start of school — Juliana was to start this week in Wagoner — but it's a dream realized for the moment, and they'll be time to catch up on the studies.
"It's kind of overwhelming right now," the coach and father said.
Oklahoma has never had a team win a Little League title in softball. The team got a video message early Tuesday from Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso, who has her own collection of World Series titles.
"My heart kind of dropped knowing she's watching us," Julianna said. "It's a big boost of confidence for tomorrow and I'm super, super excited."
Zoie Griffin allowed just one hit over a six-inning complete game, striking out 10. Her only hit allowed came in the second on a leadoff single to center.
Meanwhile, Juliana Hutchens got Green Country on the board in the third on a two-run single to right, scoring Griffin and Alexis Kierstead. Kierstead had the other big hit, a two-run triple to left in the fourth to make it 6-0.
Kierstead was 2-for-3. Mileigh Needham also drove in a run on a single. Lilly Beverage and Cambri Casey had the other hits for Green Country.
"It was a pretty complete game we played," coach Hutchens said. "Hopefully tomorrow we'll have another one in us."
Green Country is 5-0 in the tournament and has outscored opponents 33-5 over that span.
They'll face Chesterfield, Va., a 7-5 winner over Robinson, Texas, in the championship game set for 4 p.m. Wednesday (TV: ESPN).
There is no international bracket in Little League this year due to the pandemic.
