'Big Sky Zootown' Posts Big Win Over Eskymo Girls

ROXANA, Del.---They were the better team. Indeed, the world's best team.

There was no other way to describe the outcome of the Senior Little League World Series on Saturday in Roxana, Delaware.

The Garden City Little League All-Stars out of Missoula, Montana...aka Zootown...showed their superiority against a gutsy group of Escanaba All-Stars, 10-0, in six innings, in the nationally-televised world series championship game.

"They don't have any flaws," Escanaba Manager Andy Fields said. "We tried to expose a few things on them, but we couldn't do it. I have a lot of respect for their coaches, and for their team. They are the best team I've seen, travel ball, or Little League."

Escanaba has overcome so many obstacles on this magical run to the Atlantic Ocean. From the against-all-odds upset win in the regional finals against two-time defending World Series champion Indiana District Eleven, to overcoming an 0-2 start at this year's world series to earn a spot on Senior Little League softball's biggest stage.

But they couldn't overcome a team that was solid in all aspects. Montana Pitcher Macey Newbary is a girl that you will likely see playing college softball in a couple of years somewhere. She has a blazing fastball, yet is crafty with her pitch placement.

Escanaba had only three hits against her in a pool play meeting last Sunday, and this time around, the Eskymos had no hits at all until Jerrika McAlpine's single to left field broke up the no-hitter in the sixth and final inning.

The Montana team has strong defense, as Claire McInerney can tell you after her sinking line drive to center field was caught by Natalie Schwab near the grasstops in the final inning.

And the Montana girls can hit, one through nine. Newbary leads in that department, as she hit seven home runs in the World Series, including three in two games against Escanaba.

Newbary's three-run homer with two out in the fourth inning turned a 3-0 game into a 6-0 game. It appeared that Ross was told to intentionally walk Newbary, as catcher Taylor Segorski set up near the chalk of the left-handed batter's box.

But Ross shook off the sign, threw a strike, and the ball flew away.

Taylor Holmes later connected for a two-run homer for Missoula, and that was her second round-tripper of Escanaba in two World Series meetings.

"They play the right way," Fields said. "If I had to lose to any team in the world, this would be it. They were outstanding."

Escanaba tried to throw off the Montana girls by having Cassi Wisler start in the circle, rather than usual starter Katie Ross. The West Regional champions scored three runs in that first inning.

Ross came in and threw two scoreless innings, but gave up the home run to Newbary in the fourth. Wisler came back in to pitch in the fifth and gave up three runs, two of them on the Holmes home run. Ross finished the final two innings.

Despite the fact that his girls managed only three baserunners on Saturday, Fields was proud of what the Iron Nine (plus J.J.!) accomplished.

"This was a great team, one of the greatest Little League All-Star teams to come out of Escanaba, for sure," Fields said. "I think we showed it out there. We brought the community together. It's been a blast."

CLICK HERE to read the story from Montana's perspective, in The Missoulian.

Besides McAlpine's hit in the sixth inning, Escanaba's other two baserunners were a walk to Emily Bruntjens in the fourth inning, and Wisler was safe on an error in the fifth.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos taken by Mary Gauthier, and to hear pre-game interviews with Malary Hiney and Taylor Gauthier, and the post-game interview with Fields.