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Pitt County softball fans celebrate a player getting on base during the game against the West Region team from California Friday afternoon. The game was delayed to the afternoon on account of heavy rain in the area.
Pitt County fans cheer for the home team on Thursday.
Players from the Phillippines enter Stallings Stadium during a World Series opening event on on Aug. 6.
Bacolod City, Philippines, pitcher Jacey Pajotal delivers a pitch on Wednesday against Bologna, Italy, at the Little League Softball World Series. Pajotal and some well-executed small ball carried the team to a 2-0 start.
Lavon Zell, left, and Kenyatta Payton give a big thumbs up in support of Zell's niece, Alanna Albritton, who plays outfield for the Pitt County team.
A Pitt County softball fan reacts to a run scoring during the team's game against West Region Champ California on Friday.
A softball fan is exuberant after the team bats in a run against the West Region team from California on Friday. Local fans turned out in big numbers to root for the hometown favorite, Pitt County Girls Softball League All-Stars.
Pitt County fans react to a big play during Friday’s game against the West Region team from California.
A range of emotions expressed by the Pitt County softball fans in attendance for Friday's game against the West Region team from California on Friday afternoon.
Pitt County softball fans celebrate a player getting on base during the game against the West Region team from California Friday afternoon. The game was delayed to the afternoon on account of heavy rain in the area.
Pitt County fans cheer for the home team on Thursday.
Players from the Phillippines enter Stallings Stadium during a World Series opening event on on Aug. 6.
Bacolod City, Philippines, pitcher Jacey Pajotal delivers a pitch on Wednesday against Bologna, Italy, at the Little League Softball World Series. Pajotal and some well-executed small ball carried the team to a 2-0 start.
Lavon Zell, left, and Kenyatta Payton give a big thumbs up in support of Zell's niece, Alanna Albritton, who plays outfield for the Pitt County team.
A Pitt County softball fan reacts to a run scoring during the team's game against West Region Champ California on Friday.
A softball fan is exuberant after the team bats in a run against the West Region team from California on Friday. Local fans turned out in big numbers to root for the hometown favorite, Pitt County Girls Softball League All-Stars.
Pitt County fans react to a big play during Friday’s game against the West Region team from California.
A range of emotions expressed by the Pitt County softball fans in attendance for Friday's game against the West Region team from California on Friday afternoon.
Whether teams have traveled 8 miles or 8,000 miles from their home field to Greenville’s Elm Street Park for the Little League Softball World Series, players have been met with a show of support at Stallings Stadium.
As expected, local fans turned out in big numbers to root for the hometown favorite, Pitt County Girls Softball League All-Stars, which drew an estimated 1,300 fans on Tuesday for its first outing as the North Carolina host team. But what fewer people would have predicted was the size of the crowd cheering for Asia-Pacific Region’s Negros Occidental Little League from Bacolod City, Philippines, which traveled the farthest to get here.
At Wednesday’s game against the Europe-Africa Region team from Milano, Italy, local fans wearing Phillipines T-shirts filled nearly an entire section of the stadium. Among them was Chelsea Mendoza of Ayden, who sat through six innings in 90-degree weather to cheer for girls she doesn’t even know.
Mendoza, who was born in the Philippines but moved to the United States with her parents when she was just a baby, said one of Asia-Pacific Region’s coaches contacted Filipinos in eastern North Carolina with news that his team would be traveling to their state.
When the local Filipino community learned that a team from their home country would be competing in the Little League World Series, they were eager to offer their support.
“We prepared them food, drinks, everything to prepare them for this game,” Mendoza said. “Because of that, we’ve really formed a family connection to the players and the coaches.”
Marvin Casino of Winterville said members of the tight-knit Filipino community were waiting outside when the Asia-Pacific Region team arrived at the dorm at East Carolina University at nearly 11 p.m. Aug. 4. He said the group had so many donations of water and Gatorade that they asked members to stop contributing.
“Pretty much we have a small community here, so we reached out to everybody and let them know (about the team’s arrival),” he said. “They travel light, so some of our friends bought extra clothes, shoes and stuff like that and made them comfortable. We want them to feel welcome and supported.”
Becky Evans, a native of the Philippines, came from New Bern with her husband, Jim, and their granddaughters, Cori and Emmy, to cheer on the Asia-Pacific team for Wednesday’s game. After 27 years in eastern North Carolina, it is rare for Evans to get to watch athletes from her home country.
“They are good,” she said. “I’m really impressed with these girls.”
Coach Ryan Blanca said through a translator that his team members are overwhelmed at the support they have received.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “We have been through a lot (to get here). Three times in the World Series, but this is the best, the most amazing crowd that we had.”
The team played the Mid-Atlantic squad in rain-delayed game after 7 p.m. on Friday and will play again on Saturday due to their undefeated status. Pitt County was in a do-or-die game when it overcame California on Friday, 6-1.
The local team, which is making a first appearance in the Little League Softball World Series, also has been galvanized by fans. Catcher Michelle Jenkins, 12, said that she was happy to see so many people turn out for the team’s second game after Tuesday’s disappointing loss to West (California).
But it wasn’t just friends and family who showed up at Elm Street Park on Friday, when morning thunderstorms caused the first game to be delayed by more than three hours.
Creekside Elementary School teacher Meghann Boyd took a seat on some concrete steps behind center field to watch. Though the local team does not include any of her former students, Boyd, a former softball player and mother of three boys who played Little League baseball, didn’t want to miss any of the local games.
“I see a lot of Little League families out here who don’t have sisters (on the team),” she said. “It’s just the kids, like the boys, coming out to cheer on people who are playing on ‘their’ field.
“This brings both worlds (baseball and softball) together,” she said. “It’s a great event with some great games going on.”
Lisa Cartwright, who lives near the stadium, did not come to any of the Little League Softball World Series games last year. But this year she has come out to cheer for the Pitt County team.
Cartwright’s daughter, Piper, plays volleyball with Clara Allen, who plays second base for the squad.
“We have been here every time she’s played,” said Cartwright, who stood behind the outfield fence waving a blue No. 4 for Clara. “I think the community’s just excited that there’s a hometown team here,” she said. “I think everybody’s just happy to be out here.
Retired Greenville firefighter J.P. Roy used to coach Little League on this field. On Friday, he brought his granddaughters, Riley and Blakeley Christmas, to watch the girls play, although they don’t have personal connections with the team.
“It’s a fun place to come to,” Roy said. “This is a baseball town, including softball. I think that’s why you see so many local people come out without a dog in the fight. They’re just proud of their community.”
Contact Kim Grizzard at kgrizzard@reflector.com or call 329-9578.
For Chris Ball, readying the field at Elm Street Park for this year’s Little League Softball World Series might be a dream job. The job put hi…
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