KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — Both of Kaiserslautern’s girls softball teams are finding out just how tough it is facing the best fastpitch players in the world.
Ramstein’s Little League softball team — which consists of 11- and 12-year old girls from the Kaiserslautern area — dropped all four of its games in the Little League Softball World Series in Portland, Ore. It plays Canada in a battle of last-place pool play finishers on Wednesday in its final game, according to the tournament’s Web site.
The area’s Junior League squad lost its first two games, but the team of 13- and 14-year-old girls is still alive in its tournament and plays two more games in pool play.
Both teams from the Kaiserslautern area won their regional tournaments to represent Europe, Middle East and Africa in the biggest girls’ fastpitch softball series. It’s the first time the area has sent two teams to their respective tournaments in the same year.
On Thursday, the Little League team lost its opener, 10-4, to Asia Pacific, which is represented by a team from Manila, Philippines. On Friday, Pool B leader Central (Mattawan, Mich.) shut it out, 11-0, and on Saturday, it lost 14-0 to West (Gilroy, Calif). On Sunday, South (Morristown, Tenn.) routed Ramstein, 20-2.
The top two teams from pool play advance to the semifinals on Tuesday. The semis and the championship game on Wednesday will be broadcast on ESPN2.
The Junior League team is in Pool A, which includes Canada (Windsor, Ontario), Southwest (Needville, Texas), East (Greensburg, Pa.) and host Kirkland, Wash. On Sunday it lost 11-1 to East, and then fell 5-4 to Kirkland in eight innings on Monday. It was to face Canada on Tuesday and Southwest on Thursday.
The semifinals are Friday and the championship and consolation games are Saturday.
