Summerlin South softball facing elimination after loss in Little League West Regional

Earlier this summer, the Summerlin South Little League boys team traveled to South Williamsport, Pennsylvania and captured a national championship, drawing national attention. On Tuesday, the girls’ squad took the field and appeared strong through five innings of play. In the sixth inning, Northern California exploded for four runs, overturning a 1‑0 deficit to win 4‑1 and eliminate Summerlin South from the winners’ bracket semifinal of the Little League Softball West Region Tournament held in San Bernardino, California. Nevada, now 2‑1, will meet Southern California (also 2‑1) in the elimination bracket semifinal at 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday; the winner will advance to face Northern California for the regional title at 2:15 p.m. on Thursday. Pitcher Raelyn Lingenfelter kept Summerlin South in contention, working out of jams in each of the opening three innings. After settling the Northern California threat in the fourth, Alexis Cappetta launched an inside‑the‑park home run to give Nevada a 1‑0 lead. Lingenfelter continued her effective work through the fourth and fifth frames, but Hannah Lancieri led off the sixth with a single for California. Two hits, an error and a passed ball followed, leaving Summerlin South unable to rally and ultimately succumbing to defeat. Northern California outhit Nevada 10‑4, paced by Charlotte Dudek’s 3‑for‑3 effort at the plate and a nearly flawless performance from starter Eveya Martinez. Cappetta contributed two hits for Nevada’s offense. The team earned its regional berth by securing the Nevada state title for the second straight year. Notably, Summerlin South did not participate in the 2025 postseason because of a legal but disqualifying eligibility technicality.