Auburn Tigers Defeat Jayhawks in Marathon Little League Softball Championship Game

Shore News Network

JACKSON-The Holbrook Major Softball Auburn Tigers (8-8) defeated the undefeated Kansas Jayhawks (12-0-1) 9-7 in a 12 inning marathon championship game that spanned two evenings. The Jayhawks struck early, going up 2-0 in the first inning when Jess Cannestro drove home Skylar Lafisca and Charli Czaczkowski. In the second inning the Jayhawks added another run with an RBI single by Czaczkowski. In the 4th inning, the Tigers scored 4 runs after Reese Miller, Taylor Robinson and Amanda Ammerman reached base on hits.

Erin Stilton hit a bases clearing triple to tie the game, followed by a single by Abby Kissberth to bring Stilton home for the go ahead run. In the 5th inning, Amanda Ammerman hit a solo home run to make the score 5-3, Auburn. Down 5-3, the Jayhawks scored two runs to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth and final inning.

After strong pitching performances by Ammerman and Miller, Stilton took the mound with 2 outs and bases loaded and walked in the tying run. Cassie Koslowski then struck out the next batter in relief to send the game into extra innings. In extra innings, Koslowski kept the Jayhawks at bay striking out 7 and giving up no runs through 10 innings.

On the mound for the Jayhawks, Czaczkowksi, Lafisca and Gabby Panebianco silenced the Auburn batters through the next 5 innings. In the 9th inning,, Kansas escaped a bases loaded situation while Auburn escaped defeat by getting out of two of their own bases loaded situations.

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In the 12th inning, Auburn’s middle of the line up delivered three consecutive hits including singles by Koslowski and Victoria Olivieri and a two run single by Madison Reilly. Auburn would score three runs in the top of the 12th, capped with a steal of home by Jackie Cassidy to put the Tigers up 9-5 going into the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the 12th, Stilton who had come on in relief for a scoreless 11th gave up two runs, led by a Czaczkowski lead off single, but managed to strike out two to end the game. Despite the outcome, the girls on both teams played an exceptional game of softball. Pitchers from both teams combined for nearly 40 strikeouts in the marathon game.


The Jayhawks were coached by Manager John Czaczkowski, Nick Cannestro and Steve Lafiska.


The Auburn Tigers were led by Manager Phil Stilton and coaches Paul Ammerman and Jay Kissberth.

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