Youth Sports Report:

Palma Ceia/West Tampa wins region, will represent the Southeast in the junior softball World Series

Posted Aug 3, 2011 by Jarrett Guthrie

Updated Aug 3, 2011 at 10:38 PM

Palma Ceia/West Tampa junior softball will represent the Southeast in the Little League World Series after the team rallied late and used a big two-run homerun and scored three runs in extra innings, defeating Tennessee 5-2 Wednesday night.

In the top of the eighth inning Palma Ceia/West Tampa got a runner on base with a leadoff single, before Kasey Wishart sent the first pitch out over the centerfield wall. The Florida state champs added another run in the inning and pitcher Nikki Lopez shut the door on Tennessee (Clarksville Northwest LL). Lopez went all eight innings allowing one earned run and seven hits.

Palma Ceia/West Tampa breezed through pool play in the region tournament held in Fort Myers, taking out Virginia, Alabama, West Virginia and Georgia by a combined score 29-0 earning its shot in the final.

The win earns Palma Ceia/West Tampa a trip to the World Series in Kirkland, Washington August 14-20. This is the second straight year a team from Tampa will represent the Southeast in the junior softball Little League World Series as West Tampa Little League advanced to the finals in 2010 falling to Latin America in a tight 4-3 game.