Following an undefeated run through the Little League Softball World Series in Greenville, N.C., West Suburban –which represented the Mid-Atlantic — had one final task against Indiana in Sunday’s title game.

Behind a strong two-way performance from Reagan Bills, West Suburban held off a late comeback attempt by Floyds Knobs Community Club to clinch the world championship with a 1-0 victory.

“I’ve been watching (the Little League Softball World Series) since I was 5, and I didn’t think this would ever be possible,” an emotional Bills said on ESPN moments after the game.

“No matter what came their way, these girls continued to believe in themselves,” manager Les Gaunt said. “I think that’s what really sums up this group. These girls believed in each other and themselves until the very end.”

It was the first time a team from Pennsylvania had won a Little League Softball World Series title dating back to 1978, and it was the first appearance in the championship for a Pennsylvania-based team since 2018.

The roster for West Suburban was formed at the beginning of summer, and at the time, many of the players hardly knew each other as they came from several different schools — such as Blacklick Valley, Cambria Heights, Central Cambria, Conemaugh Valley, Holy Name Catholic and Forest Hills.

For a team that had only known each other for a few short months, the players at West Suburban formed a family atmosphere.

“Some of us didn’t know (each other) at all,” said Bills, who played alongside fellow Cambria Heights schoolmates Kennedy Fees, Mara Keefe and Navaeh Worthington. “We just became friends so fast.”

“We all just became the closest friends over the summer,” Adalyn Hines said. “I just feel so close to all these girls, and I’ve never felt this close with any other team before. I didn’t see any other team cheer for a strikeout or a big play like our team did. We definitely have some of the closest bonds on our team.”

As she had been the entire World Series, Bills was once again at the forefront of the charge for West Suburban.

Bills pitched her fourth shutout of the World Series and threw a 105-pitch complete game.

Bills allowed only one hit and collected seven strikeouts, and she closed the World Series with 51 strikeouts while allowing only 12 hits over 30 innings. She threw every pitch in the World Series for West Suburban and received pitch calls from her father, Rick, who was an assistant coach for the team.

“We’ve been in some tough situations before, and luckily for these girls, this wasn’t anything new for them,” Gaunt said. “These girls have been pretty dependable all year, and I think Reagan had a lot of trust in them. She knew that if the ball was going to be put in play, the girls behind her were going to get the out.”

Although Bills has gained fame for her excellence in the circle, her bat provided the game-winning run in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Holy Name student Sadie Divido opened the inning with a single off a fly ball to center field, and an error by Central while attempting to field a ground ball by Central Cambria’s Camilla Gaunt set the stage for Bills.

Bills connected on a 3-2 count with a shot to center field, and Divido safely slid across home plate as the throw to home was not caught. Bills went 2-for-2 in the championship match.

“I knew I just needed to put the ball in play,” Bills said. “I saw that pitch and was so happy it turned out that way. Sadie had great hustle on the base paths to get that run in, too.”

Up until that point, it was a pitchers’ duel between Bills and Indiana ace Briley Mercer, who struck out eight and allowed four hits. Indiana, which lost its opening contest of the World Series to North Carolina, also entered the championship game with four-straight shutouts.

Indiana had the potential tying run on third base in the fifth inning after an error in the outfield and back-to-back walks loaded the bases.

“I went out and talked to (Bills) just to make sure she was calm,” Hines, the catcher, said. “I didn’t want her to be mad or upset in a big moment like that, and luckily Reagan was really calm. I knew after talking to her that she was going to get that last out.”

Despite finding herself in the jam, Bills caught a line drive that came straight to the pitcher’s circle to end the inning unscathed.

“My mindset was to trust my defense, because I knew that they could make a play on anything that came their way,” Bills said. “I trusted my team the entire night that we could do this.”

West Suburban didn’t allow a base runner in the sixth inning. Aubrey Baxter, a Forest Hills student, made the final out by catching a pop fly into left field.

“Coach always tells us that it’s a grind, and we just need to keep going — no matter what happens,” Fees said. “We always kept our energy up regardless of what the score was. We all played with so much energy, and I think it’s because we all cared about each other so much.”

Fees, who has Type I diabetes, had her story told throughout the World Series to a national audience.

“It was really special to be able to spotlight it a little bit, and hopefully I was able to inspire other girls who have it,” Fees said. “I hope this shows them that diabetes can’t stop you, and you are capable of anything that you work for.”

West Suburban allowed only one run the entire World Series, which was surrendered in the sixth inning of its 2-1 victory over New England in the opener.

It was a miracle run for West Suburban, which originally lost its opening game of the Pennsylvania state playoffs but won 16 straight games ever since. The Johnstown-based team advanced to the Little League Softball World Series after defeating Delaware for the Mid-Atlantic Regional championship.

After three-straight wins to open the World Series, West Suburban defeated Oklahoma for the second time in three days in Saturday’s semifinal to advance to the championship game.

Central Cambria student Haley Shepherd was also on the championship team along with Kendal Schilling, who is a Holy Name student.

Prior to Sunday’s title game, the team received a video message from the Penn State softball team as players and coaches offered their well wishes to the eventual champs.

On Saturday, West Suburban advanced to the final with a 4-0 victory over Tulsa (Okla.) National by pounding out nine hits.

Bills threw a four-hitter with 10 strikeouts and also knocked in the first run of the game. Keefe, who went 2-for-2, and Divido also drove in runs.

SATURDAY SEMIFINALS

JOHNSTOWN WEST SUBURBAN (4): Gaunt 2b 201, Bills p 301, Hines c 300, Worthington 1b 200, Fees ss 311, Bailor eh 300, Baxter rf 300, Shepherd lf 311, Schilling lf 201, Schilling-Mansour cf 211, Keefe eh 212, Divido 3b 201. Totals — 30-4-9.

TULSA NATIONAL (0): Whited ss 200, Helton 2b 303, Frisby 3b 200, Miner c 201, Arias lf 300, Flamminio-Littlejohn cf 200, White p 100, Hood 1b 200, Littlejohn rf 200, Metcalf eh 200. Totals — 21-0-4.

SCORE BY INNINGS

West Suburban 001 021–4 9 0

Tulsa National 000 000–0 4 4

2B–Fees, Schilling-Mansour, Gaunt, Helton. RBI–Bills, Keefe, Divido. WP–Bills. LP–White. SO–Bills 10, White 2. BB–Bills 1, White 2.

Records: Johnstown West Suburban (4-0); Tulsa (Okla.) National (2-2).

SUNDAY CHAMPIONSHIP

FLOYDS KNOBS COMMUNITY CLUB (0): Abel lf 300, Renn 2b 200, Fiore ss 200, Nickels 3b 200, DeSpain eh 200, Drummond 1b 100, Carroll c 201, Mercer p 100, Campbell rf 100, Whittemore 1b 200, Ramsey eh 100, Kolish cf 200. Totals — 21-0-1.

JOHNSTOWN WEST SUBURBAN (1): Gaunt 2b 200, Bills p 202, Hines c 200, Worthington 1b 200, Fees ss 200, Bailor eh 200, Baxter rf-lf-rf 101, Shepherd lf-rf-lf 100, Schilling lf 200, Schilling-Mansour cf 100, Keefe eh 100, Divido 3b 111. Totals — 19-1-4.

SCORE BY INNINGS

Floyds Knobs CC 000 000–0 1 2

West Suburban 000 10X–1 4 2

RBI–Bills. WP–Bills. LP–Mercer. SO–Bills 7, Mercer 8. BB–Bills 4, Mercer 2.

Records: Floyds Knobs (Ind.) Community Club (4-2); Johnstown West Suburban (5-0).