BRISTOL, July 23, 2026 — Down to their final two outs, state champion Bristol rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to beat Cranston, Rhode Island, 4-3, and earn a spot in the upcoming Little League Softball World Series in Greenville, N.C.
In the sixth, Bristol’s Lucy Bastiaanse hit a solo home run to cut the Rhode Island lead to two, 3-2. Consecutive singles by Keeva Knowles and Lucy Kalat and an intentional walk to Ava Lefurgey loaded the bases with one out.
Makinnley Whitlock’s ground ball resulted in a fielder’s choice that allowed the tying run to score and leaving the bases loaded. Bristol’s Avery Collins hit a hard shot that glanced off the glove of an infielder driving in the winning run.
The contest was the championship of the New England regional in the Major Division (ages 11-12) tournament.
