WORCESTER, Mass.—Connecticut’s remarkable Senior League Softball East Region tournament run came to an end Tuesday night, as Pennsylvania rallied from a two-run deficit to defeat the Shoreline Wildcats, 7-5, in the regional championship game.

After knocking off tournament host Massachusetts, 3-1, in Tuesday afternoon’s semifinal, the Wildcats, based out of Lyme-Old Lyme, came within six outs of a regional title before Pennsylvania scored four unanswered runs to claim the championship.

Connecticut (4-1 in the tournament) jumped on the board in the opening inning when Isabella Franklin doubled home AJ Scrivo for a 1-0 lead. Pennsylvania answered immediately with three runs in the bottom of the first, capitalizing on a pair of Connecticut errors to seize a 3-1 advantage.

The Wildcats battled back in the fourth.

After consecutive walks to Sawyer Barreto and Josie Arndt, Scrivo delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit to 3-2. Moments later, a passed ball allowed courtesy runner Bea Aldana to score while Scrivo raced all the way home on the same play, swinging the momentum and giving Connecticut a 4-3 lead.

Connecticut added an insurance run in the fifth when Kaylyn Vernon tripled before scoring on Sawyer Barreto’s sacrifice fly, extending the advantage to 5-3.

Pennsylvania answered in the bottom half.

Josie Mihoci led off with a single and Rylee Beebe followed with another hit before Pennsylvania trimmed the deficit to one on a fielder’s choice. Abby Bender then delivered the biggest hit of the game, lining a two-run double to center field that put Pennsylvania back in front, 6-5.

The hosts added an insurance run in the sixth on a passed ball before Nina Brewster retired the Wildcats in order in the sixth and worked around a seventh-inning single by Nana Cruz to close out the victory.

Franklin paced Connecticut offensively, finishing 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles, a walk and an RBI. Cruz added two hits, while Scrivo had a hit, scored twice and drove in a run. Vernon tripled, singled and scored twice, while Avery Goiangos also collected a hit.

Barreto started in the circle, allowing six runs, three earned, over 4 1/3 innings before Aldana tossed the final 1 2/3 innings.

Wildcats blank host in semifinal

Earlier Tuesday, Connecticut punched its ticket to the championship game with a 3-1 victory over tournament host Massachusetts.

Avery Goiangos was dominant in the circle, scattering five hits while striking out nine over a complete-game effort.

The Wildcats broke through in the first inning when Kaylyn Vernon singled home Brooke Ouellette for a 1-0 lead.

Connecticut added two more runs in the third. Bea Aldana tripled before scoring, and Vernon later crossed the plate to make it 3-0.

Massachusetts scored its lone run in the bottom of the seventh, but Goiangos finished off the complete-game victory to send the Wildcats into the regional final.

Vernon finished 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, while Aldana recorded Connecticut’s other hit and scored a run.

Despite falling one win short of a berth in the Senior League Softball World Series, the Shoreline Wildcats capped an outstanding regional tournament by reaching the East Region championship game and finishing as regional runners-up.

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