OBSERVER Photo by Jeremy Izzio Pictured is Fayetteville-Manilius’ Lauren Granger delivering a pitch during Monday’s opening game of the 8-10 year old New York State minor softball tournament. Granger led FM Little League to an 8-4 victory over Massapequa Little league, striking out 14 batters.

Fayetteville-Manilius (FM) Little League put on an impressive show Wednesday by defeating Massapequa Little League, 8-4, in the opening game of the 8-10 year old New York state minor softball tournament held at Dunkirk’s Joe Karnes Field in Wright park.

“We were very happy with today’s game,” FM Little League coach Jim Sharples said. “Coming into states we knew we would play some very good teams and Massapequa was just that. One of the best we’ve faced. The girls did everything they needed to do. They kept their heads in the game, were aggressive and they fielded very well.”

Leading the way for FM Little League was standout pitcher Lauren Granger.

Granger picked up the complete-game win, striking out 14 batters while allowing six hits. At the plate, Granger added a double and scored two runs.

“(Granger) is just unstoppable,” Sharples said. “Even when she’s battling from behind, she still fights and gets the strikeouts. She never gives up and is one of the strongest players on the team. She has a lot of heart. She never gives up, even when things are going bad. We’ve had some games where we are down by six or seven and she sticks with it and comes back.”

FM Little League started hot in the first inning, scoring four runs to open the contest.

Granger, Bella Diana and Emily Bulone each reached base to begin the game and all three crossed the plate to give FM a 3-0 lead entering the bottom of the first.

Massapequa answered with a run of its own when Annalisa Kohn walked and later scored on an RBI triple by Meghan Stork. Unfortunately, as was the case all day, it wasn’t enough to overcome FM.

Julianna Hill singled and scored in the second to put FM up 4-1 before the team out of the Syracuse area scored three more runs in the third to open the game up.

In the pivotal third inning, Diana, Bulone and Emily Wilson all scored runs to bring the score to 7-1 entering the bottom of the third.

Again, Massapequa was able to push a run across when starting pitcher Julia Utz scored on an RBI single by Lauren O’Brien, but one run was all they could muster.

Down 8-2 in the bottom of the fifth, Massapequa continued to battle. Stork scored to bring the score to 8-3 and then in the sixth, Kohn once again crossed the plate.

In the bottom of the fifth, Massapequa presented its best threat of the contest when it loaded the bases with two outs and the score at 8-3, but as she did all day, Granger answered the call and struck out the batter to end the inning and lock up the win.

“I thought both teams really came to play and my girls showed a lot of fight today,” Massapequa coach Vito Mannino said. “FM played very well and it was close all the way through.””Julia Utz pitched really well for us today. They got to her early but she settled down and showed a lot of poise in the circle. She kept it close for us and that’s all you can ask for.

“We have three more wins until we are New York state champs so it’s all about focusing on the moment,” Sharples said. “That’s all that matters. If you had a bad play, it doesn’t matter. Shake it off and they did that today. Stay in the moment and be ready to play.”

Representing District 38 are the Fredonia All-Stars who will be in action today at 3 p.m. at Joe Karnes Field.

Pawling 5,

East Meadow 4

Fredonia’s first opponent in the double-elimination tournament will be Pawling, who had a 5-4 win over East Meadow in Wednesday’s second game. Pawling’s Mikaela Mammola pitched a two-hitter with 13 strikeouts, including the final two with the tying run at third base in the top of the sixth. She also connected for a two-run homer as part of a three-run fifth inning.

Julia Parise was the hard-luck losing pitcher. She allowed three hits and struckout 11. She also contributed in both East Meadow’s scoring rallies. She walked and eventually scored on an error to put East Meadow up 1-0 in the top of the second. She also had an RBI single as part of a three-run sixth.

Pawling took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on a hit batter, a walk, an RBI single by Nikki Vinciguerra, and a wild pitch. Mammola’s two-run homer in the fifth followed a teammate’s walk and preceded a single by Hailey Zwingman, who later stole home to give her team a 5-1 lead.

East Meadow’s three-run sixth to cut the margin to 5-4, included three Pawling errors and an RBI single by Pease before Mammola put out the fire and sent her team into Thursday’s 3 p.m. game versus Fredonia. The first of the two hits she allowed was a single by Charlotte Viola in the fifth inning.

East Meadow will be back in action at 11 a.m. Friday against an opponent to be determined Thursday.