LAKE MARY, Fla. – They may have lost the battle, but they’re still in the war.
Lake Mary Little League’s softball squad dropped a nail-biter Monday, falling 2-1 to Tulsa National Little League in their second World Series game in Greenville, North Carolina. But don’t count these Florida fighters out just yet.
The team is riding high after crushing Mill Creek, Washington, 8-1 in Sunday’s opener, and they’re ready to battle their way through the purple elimination bracket to keep their championship dreams alive.
Back in Lake Mary, the atmosphere at Friendly Confines was electric as fans packed in to watch their hometown heroes on the big screen. The scene perfectly captures how far this program has come, according to former player Samantha Lester, who was there cheering on her sister Rachel.
“We had about 20 girls just about 5 years ago playing. You’d have one team per age group. And now we had 200 girls,” Lester said, beaming with pride. “It’s just the interest in Lake Mary Little League and how good our All Star teams have gotten.”
Getting to the World Series has been a years-long journey for Lake Mary softball. “Two years ago my team made it to States but we couldn’t get past States. Then last year my sister’s team won States but couldn’t get past Regionals. And now they finally made it all the way,” Lester explained, eyes glued to the screen.
Jeannie Fisher, who spent 33 years coaching softball in Lake Mary and worked with several current team members, couldn’t hide her excitement. She made sure to find the perfect spot to watch the game with other supporters, showing these young athletes have the community firmly in their corner.
Lake Mary isn’t done yet. They move now to the purple elimination bracket, playing their next game on Tuesday.