HEARTLAND TEAMS SPLIT

Two Heartland All-Star fast-pitch softball teams opened to mixed results Saturday in their respective Babe Ruth World Series.

Playing in Jamestown, N.Y., the Heartland All-Stars 12-and-under team won its round-robin opener 6-2 over Western New York. However, in North Carolina, the local 16-and-under squad suffered a 7-2 loss to Pitt County, N.C.

The Heartland All-Stars 12-and-under mustered just four hits but pushed across six runs. Maranda Schlosser led the offense with two hits and an RBI. The Heartland squad was aided by four errors by the Western New York team.

The score was tied 1-1 entering the top of the fourth inning when the Heartland All-Stars broke the deadlock with four runs. Western New York countered with a run in the bottom of the frame, but the Heartland squad re-established its four-run lead with a run in the top of the sixth.

Kristin Harper and Whitney Beggs added hits for Heartland.

Kelly Essner picked up the win on the mound, holding Western New York to seven hits.

The Heartland All-Stars resume round-robin play today with a 6 p.m. game against New England.

No further results were available on the Heartland All-Stars 16-and-under game.