Massapequa International Rallies From 4 Down To Stay Alive In LLWS Regionals

Massapequa International's softball team rallied from a four-run deficit Tuesday to keep their Little League World Series hopes alive.

By Tom Gambardella, Patch Staff

Jul 22, 2026 10:50 am EDT | Updated Jul 22, 2026 10:51 am EDT

BRISTOL, CT — Heading into the fifth inning of an elimination game Monday night, Massapequa International’s softball team was down four runs and needed a spark. Thanks to a couple of errors, a pair of stolen bases and some timely hitting, that’s exactly what they got, putting six runs on the board in the top of the fifth on their way to a 7-4 win over a Delmar, MD squad to keep their hopes of reaching the Little League World Series alive.

The rally started with right fielder Ashlin Lyman at the plate when a wild pitch allowed runners to advance to second and third base. Then, a booted ground ball to first base allowed both runners to score.

Lynam then stole second before Gabby Meyer hit a fly ball to right that would turn into an inside-the-park home run, scoring Lynam and tying the game.

After a fly out and a strikeout, Sophia Nislow reached first on a fly ball single, stole second base and scored on an error that allowed Giuliana Cretty to reach second base safely. Cretty then advanced to third base on a passed ball and scored on a single by Milla Sollitto.

For Yankee fans, the fifth inning of Tuesday night’s game might have been reminiscent of the calamitous fifth inning of game 5 of the 2024 World Series, wherein the Bronx Bombers committed three errors of their own, allowing five runs and handed the Los Angeles Dodgers a title-clinching victory.

For Massapequa International, the fifth inning was exactly the spark they needed. Ruby Ponticello retired Delmar’s batters 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth, got an extra bit of run support in the top of the sixth on a Lynam single that brought Emma Kusterer home, and shut the door with a scoreless bottom of the sixth.

Massapequa now looks ahead to a matchup with Toms River, NJ Wednesday night that will determine who faces Mindersville, PA to go to the Little League World Series as regional champion. That Wednesday night game will be on ESPN2 with a 7 p.m. first pitch, while the regional final will be broadcast Thursday evening on ESPN.