Kirkland playing in championship game at Junior League Softball World Series

August 4, 2017 8:30 pm
Kirkland’s Ruby Olmstead unleashes a pitch in Friday’s semifinals. Courtesy of Eric Chen
Kirkland’s Ruby Olmstead unleashes a pitch in Friday’s semifinals. Courtesy of Eric Chen

UPDATE: A Junior League Softball World Series tournament staff member announced this morning that Kirkland will be playing at noon in today’s championship game against Central.

ESPN2 announcers noted on today’s broadcast that the Little League International Tournament Committee disqualified the Southeast squad for violating the Little League policy regarding unsportsmanlike conduct for inappropriate use of social media.

Southeast beat Kirkland, 1-0, in Friday’s semifinals.

According to The Daily Progress out of Charlottesville, Va., “(Southeast) manager Scott Currie said the posts reflected bad sportsmanship.”

The Richmond Times-Dispatch wrote: “After Friday’s game, a member of the (Southeast) team posted a picture on Snapchat showing six members of the team showing their middle fingers. The caption made it clear the gesture was intended for the Kirkland team.”

The Dispatch said that Currie was informed of the post, it was deleted immediately and his players apologized to the Kirkland squad in person that night. The Southeast was disqualified on Saturday morning.

Following is an official statement from Little League International:

“After discovering a recent inappropriate social media post involving members of Atlee Little League’s Junior League Softball tournament team, the Little League International Tournament Committee has removed the Southeast Region from the 2017 Junior League Softball World Series for violation of Little League’s policies regarding unsportsmanlike conduct, inappropriate use of social media, and the high standard that Little League International holds for all its participants. The Tournament Committee will advance the Host Region from Kirkland American/National Little League to participate in the championship game, scheduled for Saturday, August 5 at 3 p.m. eastern time in Kirkland, Wash.”

FRIDAY’S STORY: Kirkland hung tight, but couldn’t get past the Southeast squad in the semifinals of the Junior League Softball World Series on Friday at Everest Park.

The team from Mechanicsville, Va., defeated the locals, 1-0, and advances to the final at noon tomorrow against Central from Poland, Ohio. The game will be televised live on ESPN.

Kirkland will play East from Warwick, RI., in the third-place game at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Central defeated the East, 6-4, in the other semifinal on Friday.

Southeast scored the lone run in the first inning and Kirkland pitcher Ruby Olmstead held the opposing squad in check the rest of the way during her seven-inning outing. She had four strikeouts on the night.

Lilly Bean, Mackenzie Burke and Anna Fridell had one hit each for Kirkland, which took it down to the wire with a team that prevailed, 16-2, against the locals in an earlier contest.