Snohomish team accused of throwing game in Little League Softball World Series scandal

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A South Snohomish softball team is in the thick of a major league-sized scandal, accused of purposefully losing a game at the Little League Softball World Series in order to face lesser opponents in subsequent rounds.

Now, after allegations of game-throwing were deemed valid, the local girls must play in a one-game playoff game to keep their world series hopes alive.

On Monday, the previously unbeaten team of girls from South Snohomish lost 8-0 in pool play to a team from North Carolina at the Little League Softball World Series in Portland. In complicated play rules, the loss in the final game of pool play bumped a tough Central Iowa squad from the tournament, while still allowing Snohomish to move on.

But early into South Snohomish's loss, officials from other teams suspected something was up.

According to the Des Moines Register, the South Snohomish team didn't only lose to North Carolina, they lost badly. The previously hard-to beat team didn't get a hit, and they allegedly hardly tried to swing. When they did swing, they allegedly tried to bunt on two strikes or swung at balls in the dirt.



The Snohomish team's four best players were also benched during the game, the Des Moines Register reported.

For a Central Iowa team that needed Snohomish to win in order to move on, the loss looked suspicious. It seemed the Snohomish team was losing on purpose in order to not have to face the Central Iowa team -- widely considered to be one of the tournament's favorites -- later on.

"It's clear to everyone that they basically threw the game," Chris Chadd, the president of the Central Iowa Little League, told the Register.

Heartbroken girls on the Central Iowa team quickly realized what was going on while they watched the Snohomish v. North Carolina game, WHOTV.com reports.

"It took about a half inning for the girls to catch on," Central Iowa Coach Charlie Husak told WHOTV.com. "We were trying to keep it from them, but you could see when they caught on that the tears started to pile up. It was pretty emotional."

South Snohomish Little League president Jeff Taylor denies any wrongdoing, the Everett Herald reports. He said the Snohomish coaches simply rested their best players, and the girls that did play couldn't get a hit.

"The only thing I would say is that Fred (Miller --coach of Snohomish team) fielded a lineup playing some girls that hadn't gotten to have much playing time." Taylor told the Herald.  "It wasn't a game that we absolutely had to win and the Central Iowa team took exception to that because the outcome was that they got knocked out."

The Central Iowa team filed a protest with the league.  A ruling in their favor was issued, and Iowa will play Snohomish in a one-game playoff Tuesday. The winner moves on to the semi-finals.

Fred Miller, the coach of Snohomish, is protesting the ruling of the one-game playoff.

This story will be updated as soon as that game is played.