Firestone Stadium will play host to the Little League World Series Central Regional Aug. 4 through 8.

Round one began at 10 a.m. Aug. 4 with Escanaba LL playing Melrose Park LL at the Stadium field for the American League and Columbia Softball LL playing Sturgeon Bay LL on the Pony field for the National League. The championship game will take place Aug. 8 at 2 p.m. with the winners of the Semi-Final games facing off. All pins and pennants will be awarded after the championship game.

With bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, Nicole Pauly (.316) executed at the plate for Akron with a line-drive single, scoring the go ahead and winning run for the Racers to defeat the Carolina Diamonds 3-2.

After a 1-1 tie in the first inning, a two-and-a-half inning long scoreless streak was broken in the fourth inning when Racers short stop Aja Paculba blasted an (.279) RBI single.

The Diamonds' designated player Rachel Folden (.405) tied the score back up to 2-2 in the sixth inning with another RBI single shortly after.

The Akron Racers (11-17) claimed victory over the USSSA Florida Pride (16-11) Sunday after Aja Paculba (.305) hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Racers and extra inning victory, 4-2.

The Racers made their first mark in the second inning when Nicole Trimboli (.258) hit a double, bringing Kaylyn Castillo home for a run. The run was the first time all series the Racers scored first. Paculba followed that with a single also bringing in an RBI putting the score at 2-0.

The Pride quickly answered back in the third inning with two runs on three hits. Florida Pride’s Jessica Mendoza ended the inning when she tried to steal third, putting herself in a pickle against Racers’ third baseman Kelley Montalvo, second baseman Nicole Pauly and short stop Aja Paculba. It took four throws back and forth for the out.

The USSSA Florida Pride (16-10) had an unstoppable night of home runs against the Akron Racers (10-17). The Akron Racers attempted a come-back in the bottom of the seventh inning against the Pride but only managed to score one run before ending the game 11-1.

The home run parade kicked off when Jessica Mendoza blasted a two-run home run in the top of the second inning, giving the USSSA Florida Pride (16-10) a combined 3-0 lead after two. Charlotte Morgan then hit a solo home run in the fourth inning. Finally, Lauren Lappin and Jamee Juarez both hit solo home runs in the seventh inning making a combined score of 11.

The Racers' first hit of the game came in the fourth inning when catcher Sam Marder hit the ball to center field, earning herself a single.

After starting the season 2-10, the Carolina Diamonds (6-10) have rebounded, defeating the Akron Racers (5-11) for the fourth game in a row to earn the series sweep and their sixth victory of the season.

Carolina pitcher Katie Burkhart was electric in the cirlce, throwing seven innings for a complete game victory over the Racers. Burkhart struck out nine Akron batters while allowing just one run on three hits. Her ERA dropped to 3.50 on the season.

The Diamonds compiled 10 hits on the day with GiOnna DiSalvatore scoring two runs on one hit for two RBIs.

The Akron Racers (5-7) started off the game, in the bottom of the first, with two runs scored by the first two batters when Sharonda McDonald took a hit-by-pitch to reach first base and Lisa Modglin singled to reach safely. One batter later, after another hit-by-pitch, the Racers scored their first run when with bases loaded; Nicole Pauly drew a walk to set the score at 1-0.

Taylor Schlopy followed her up with a fielder’s choice single to second base, earning an RBI on the play to give the Racers two runs.

The Racers scored three more, but it would not be enough as the Bandits (9-3) rallied behind two Kristen Butler home runs to defeat the Racers, 8-5, sweeping the weekend series.

Racers rookie Lexy Bennett hit her first home run, a solo blast, in her professional career with the Akron Racers (5-6) last night, putting the Racers up early in the ball game.

The Racers were the first team this season to crack Chicago Bandits’ pitcher Monica Abbott (4-1), putting up seven runs (the first earned runs all season) against the left-hander. It would not be enough, however, as the Bandits (8-3) rallied behind a Kristen Butler grand slam to win the game, 9-7.

Lisa Norris (1-2) started the night off in the pitching circle for the Racers, going 4.1 innings while allowing five hits and seven runs. Mineau stepped in after Norris loaded the bases in the fifth, pitching for 1.2 innings while allowing two hits and two runs.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- With the bases loaded in the top of the eighth inning, Racers’ catcher Sam Marder blasted her second home run in as many days, this time a grand slam to give the Racers (4-4) a 4-0 lead in extra innings.

The Pride (5-3) rallied with three runs in the bottom half of the eighth inning, but Racers’ pitcher Kristina Thorson (2-2) closed the door to keep the 4-3 victory in game two of today’s doubleheader.

Thorson pitched eight innings while allowing seven hits, three runs (one home run) and one walk. She struck out seven Pride batters to earn the win.

Kaylyn Castillo blasted the first home run of her career in the second inning with a three-run home run to left field, giving the Akron Racers (3-1) a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second against the Carolina Diamonds.

The Akron Racers added five more runs to defeat the Diamonds, 9-2, in a Sunday afternoon matchup. Danielle Spaulding (0-1) started in the circle against the Racers, allowing no runs and no hits with one strikeout in the first.

Spaulding’s pitching faded in the second inning after an RBI single by Taylor Schlopy and Castillo following that up with the home run. From the second through fourth innings, the Diamonds were unsuccessful at stopping the Racers offense from the circle, allowing nine runs and seven hits.