Coming off an exciting 10- 8 win over Bow in the 11- and 12-year-old Little League state softball tournament, Pelham entered the winners bracket final with wide-eyed enthusiasm. Lamprey River’s starting pitcher – at least for one game – morphed that into wide-eyed wonder.

Pelham couldn’t catch up with the fastest fastball the team has seen in a 10-0, five-inning loss on Monday, July 14, but the locals still have tourney life. They’ll play Friday, July 18, at 6 p.m. against the winner of the Merrimack Valley/Auburn game. The location has not been set.

A win in that game means Pelham earns a rematch with Lamprey River on Monday, July 21.

Pelham’s manager, Steve Notini, hadn’t picked a starting pitcher for Friday’s contest. He’d like to have his daughter Minta, who pitched well against Bow, face Lamprey River, but he realizes his team first has to get there.

Notini was also pleased with the effort of Olivia Crane in the loss. She gave up five first-inning runs but deserved a better fate; none of the base hits were well struck. After that, she shut down Lamprey River until the fifth inning.

“Olivia, she’s a good pitcher, but they caught up with her in that last inning,” he said.

The mentor added the team was much more comfortable in its deceivingly close win against Bow. Pelham trailed early, 4-0, but strong hitting up and down the lineup provided a 10-4 edge into the sixth, when Minta Notini tired.

Leadoff hitter Chantal Roussel scored three runs in the victory, and Erin Long added two. Nicole DelSignore, who missed the Lamprey River game, was perfect at the plate, going 2- for-2 with two walks and a run scored. Colleen Ernst, whom the elder Notini said is a possibility for the starting pitcher spot on Friday, collected two hits and scored once.

Minta Notini helped her own cause by scoring twice, while Jaden Yabut singled. Kayla Andrewchuk also crossed the plate.

Against Lamprey River’s hard-throwing Kim McLaughlin, Nikki Manelas reached on a walk and nearly collected the team’s lone hit; she was thrown out by half a step in the bottom of the fifth. Left fielder Brooke Paradis played well on defense, snaring a line drive in the first inning and catching another in the third that prevented a run from scoring.

Kaeleigh Sparkman and Sophie Rosselli give their coach strong bench options.

“Hopefully, we’ll see this Lamprey River team again,” said Notini, “and get another shot at them.”