West Point beats Yough, claims 37th state title

West Point trailed for the first time in the Pennsylvania Little League Softball 11U tournament Tuesday and needed a spark.

Pitcher Riley Miller provided it.

Miller, who will be a seventh-grader at Hempfield Middle School, struck out the side in the second inning, and West Point erupted for 14 consecutive runs in a 14-1 victory over Yough. The game was stopped in the fourth inning because of the 10-run mercy rule.

West Point, which outscored its three opponents 44-5, has won 37 state titles, and the 11U team has won consecutive titles.

Will they be back for a third?

“I hope so,” Miller said. “I want to.”

Her coach, Jen Bova, said she felt this team probably could have won a 12U title because of Miller.

Yough coach Andrew Bergman said West Point is so good he expects them to play in the 2020 Little League Softball World Series in Portland, Ore.

Yough scored a run in the first inning when Abbey Zuraw singled home Kylee Odelli, who was hit by a pitch to open the game. Yough, which finished 3-2 in the tournament, didn’t put a runner on base the rest of the game.

Miller worked the first three innings, striking out four. Morgan Griffin pitched a perfect fourth inning.

“They have everything,” Bergman said. “They have a great pitcher, solid defense and hitters. We’ve never won a game in the state tournament. The girls came here hoping to win one, and we ended up playing for the title.”

West Point scored nine runs in the second inning on six hits and was helped by five Yough errors.

Audrey Semow started the rally with a two-run single to give West Point a 2-1 lead. Miller later smacked a two-run homer. She added an RBI triple in the third inning.

West Point had 14 hits, including three from Miller (home run, triple and single), and two each from Griffin, Ava Shipman and Semow.

“Riley executed her pitches and almost hit for the cycle,” Bova said. “We were a little sluggish at the beginning, but Riley provided the spark.

“Yough is a class team. They showed a lot of sportsmanship.”

How confident was Bova about her team winning another title? She had shirts made up before the game.

Miller had one other thing to do after the game. Bergman allowed her to write “West Point No. 1” on the back of his hand if West Point won. He wrote “Yough No. 1” on her hand at the banquet before the tournament.