Staff report

GREENVILLE, N.C. — Rowan Little League’s 12U softball team suffered its first setback in the World Series on Thursday afternoon.

Rowan was held to three hits in a 4-1 loss to the Hewitt, Texas, team representing Midway Little League.

Midway Little League is the defending champion and has won four World Series titles.

The orange-clad Southwest Region champions had eight hits.

They took charge early in the nationally televised game with two runs in the first inning. Rylee Little and Zaneria Hughes had hits. Hughes’ double scored Little and Hughes scored on a groundout.

Texas maintained that 2-0 lead until the top of the fifth when Bristol Smith had an RBI for Rowan on an infield hit.

Texas made it 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run single by Jayada Greene.

Still undefeated, the Texas team advances to the Purple Bracket final that will be played on Saturday.

Texas’ opponent on Saturday will be a rematch with either Rowan Little League or Pitt County, the hometown team.

Rowan and Pitt County will play an elimination game on Friday at 4 p.m. on ESPN2.

Rowan and Pitt County dd not meet in this year’s state tournament, so it will be the first meeting of the summer between the rivals. Pitt County has emerged in recent years as Rowan’s biggest rival in the North Carolina Little League softball ranks.

Rowan won two games to win the state tournament. One of those two was the winner’s bracket final against Mallard Creek, which gave Rowan direct entry into the World Series as the team representing the host state of North Carolina. Pitt County lost a first-round state game to Mallard Creek but came back to beat Mallard Creek in a rematch and earned the right to play in the Southeast Regional. Pitt County won the Southeast Regional in Georgia to get to the World Series.

In the World Series, Rowan and Pitt County both have won against Ohio and Philippines and lost to Texas.