Game summary
Wilson City Little League All‑Stars saw their tournament hopes dim after a 7‑3 defeat to Northwood Little League of Taylors in the final round‑robin matchup, a result that handed Northwood a spot in the Southeast Region Ages 8‑10 Tournament of State Champions.
The loss relegated Wilson to a play‑in game against Georgia’s American Little League of Columbus, as the North Carolina runner‑up, while the championship bracket also features an unbeaten Greenville Tar Heel Little League.
The final game is scheduled for Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Southern Bank Stadium, where the stakes will be highest for both Wilson and its opponents.
Wilson’s offense sparked early when catcher Bennett Lee drove in a run with a one‑out double, and outfielder Finn Mariani added a tally with a triple, but the team could not sustain the momentum.
Northwood seized a 3‑2 lead in the first inning through a walk, two singles, a double, a hit‑by‑pitch and a two‑run error, and Wilson’s lone sixth‑inning run came after Gibson Lucas singled and Colt Pierce doubled with two outs.
Evan Barnes surrendered four earned runs in 2 ⅓ innings, taking the loss for Wilson City Little League.