South Portland American turned out the lights on Old Town, 9-8, in extra innings July 24, winning the Little League Junior Softball state championship.
Danielle Dibiase trotted home as the winning run in the eighth inning after Tasia Gorham was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
“Everyone cheered,” said SPA’s Kalie Swiger, “and then the lights went out,”
The field lights in Saco, where the game was played, were on a timer that was set to turn off at 10 p.m. South Portland got the job done just in time.
The outlook was dark early on for SPA, as they trailed 8-2 going into the fifth inning.
“It was a total team effort,” South Portland coach Walter Swiger said. “It was clutch hit after clutch hit with a few walks; the next thing, its 8-7.”
That was the score entering the bottom of the seventh, when the younger Swiger drew a lead-off walk. She then stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Finally, with one out, she slid home on a passed ball, sending the game to extra innings.
Earlier in the tournament, SPA defeated Bath, 12-4, and Old Town, 6-0.
The win advances South Portland to the regional tournament in Syracuse N.Y., which starts Saturday.
In other Little League playoff action, South Portland American was swept by Sanford over the weekend in the 11-year-old softball all-stars state tournament.
Sanford, playing at home with a team made mostly of the players from last year’s 10-year-old state champs, topped SPA, 13-2, Saturday and again, 11-1, Sunday.
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