GULFPORT - Emily Whitworth pitched a complete game, and Savannah Bradley went 2-for-2 with two runs scored as Bloomingdale Little League won its opening game at the Major softball Southern Regional Championship with a 5-1 win against Wayne Little League from West Virginia on Friday evening.

Whitworth allowed only three hits, striking out five including the last two hitters she faced. Bloomingdale manager Jerry Schinella was pleased with the performance he got from Whitworth.

“Excellent pitching,” Schinella said. “Emily did a great job, probably had a little bit of butterflies, I know I would have if it had been me pitching the first game of the Southern Regions, she did a great job.”

Bloomingdale loaded the bases in the first inning, Bradley hitting a double before Sammie Selden walked and Rachel Farinas reached on an infield single, but were unable to force a run across. In fact, it took until the third inning for it to take a lead.

Bree Schinella walked and advanced to third on a pair of passed balls. Bradley then walked and stole second without a throw, and Selden hit a ground ball back to Wayne pitcher Jessie Rowe. Rowe looked Schinella back to third before throwing to first for the out. Schinella broke for the plate on the throw, and scored as Wayne catcher Morgan Sawyers was unable to handle the throw home, which allowed Bradley to score.

Jerry Schinella said the win in the opening game was typical of the way his team had started earlier tournaments on its way to the Southern Regional.

“We kind of look back a district, sectionals and even states, the first game we start off a little slow,” Schinella said. “The longer we’re in a tournament, the more the big bats start to come alive.”

Bloomingdale tacked on another run in the fourth when McKenzie Morrison scored on an infield single by Shannon Bell, and scored twice more in the fifth for a 5-0 lead.

Wayne’s Jessie Watts scored from second on a fielder’s choice in the sixth inning, but Whitworth closed out the game, giving Bloomingdale an important first win. Bloomingdale will face Pioneer Little League from Columbus, Ga. in its second pool game on Saturday. A win could book Bloomingdale’s place in the semifinals after Pioneer lost its opening game to Unicoi County Little League from Tennessee 9-2.

“We look at it one game at a time,” Jerry Schinella said. “We made some mental errors today, and hopefully we’ll take care of that and get our bats hot again, I think we’ll be in pretty good shape.”