Merrick Madness 12-Year-Old Softball Team to Clash With Garden City for State Title

The Merrick Madness 12-year-old softball team is one win away from a state title.

The Madness beat Wappinger 3-1 Tuesday evening in the semifinals of the New York State Little League Softball Tournament in upstate Canastota.

The victory sets up a Long Island showdown Wednesday as Merrick squares off against Garden City South, a team that handed the Madness its sole loss of the pool tournament. 

Garden City downed Kingston 13-8 Tuesday to ensure that the state crown will go to a Nassau County squad.

The winner of Wednesday's contest, set to begin at 5 p.m., will move on to the regional playoffs in Albany, with a chance to advance to Portland, Oregon for the Little League Softball World Series.

Merrick will get shot Wednesday to avenge a devastating nine-inning 4-3 loss to Garden City Sunday as the girls continue to ring true the words of the team's motto.

"We go hard, we play like a boss and we don't go home," Joanna Marmo told the 11 other girls on her team last week after they beat North Shore for the Section 6 Long Island title.

So far, so good.  As sweet as home may be, the Merrick girls have their minds set on being in one place this weekend: Albany–for a shot at glory.