Worcester, Mass. - With two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Shoshana Berkman smacked a double to the left-center field fence that gave Waterford the first run of the game in an intense, pitching- and defense-dominated morning.

Berkman was up since 6 a.m. Thursday for the 9 a.m. game, a semifinal matchup with Milford, Del., in the Senior League Softball (15-16) East Regional.

"I just figured win or lose, go out fighting hard," said Berkman, the catcher and a junior-to-be on the defending Eastern Connecticut Conference Small Division champion St. Bernard School softball team. "… To be from a small town and make it to the final four is amazing."

The team from Delaware had the final say, however, scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh for a 2-1 victory. Delaware went on to win East Regional championship later in the day with a 4-2 victory over St. Mary's County, Md., advancing to the World Series in Lower Sussex, Del.

Delaware was the top seed out of the Mid-Atlantic division with a 4-0 record in pool play. Waterford was the No. 2 seed out of the New England at 3-1.

But Waterford's defense set the tone in the first inning with catches by right fielder Margaret Reagan, center fielder Marisa Boch and a leaping stab by third baseman Megan Elphick. Starting pitcher Jill Jamon allowed just three hits in her four innings, retiring the side in order in the fourth backed by more solid defense, this time getting a nice play from shortstop Jodi Weiss.

Left-hander Tori Van Cleave took over for Waterford in the fifth and added two scoreless innings.

Waterford finally broke through in the seventh off the Delaware pitching tandem of Haylee Scruggs and Brea MacFarland, who allowed just three hits to that point.

Reagan singled to lead off and took second on a wild pitch. Cora Abbiati moved her to third on a one-out sacrifice bunt and Berkman rifled her second hit of the game into the gap for the go-ahead run.

Delaware sent seven batters to the plate in the bottom of the inning, though, all starting with a leadoff single by Harley Rickards and a walk to Emily Messeck. An error followed on a bunt attempt by Kayla Brennan, allowing the tying run to score with no one out.

Van Cleave then tried to work her way out of the jam, striking out the next two hitters, but ran the count full against Jasmine Passwaters before walking her to load the bases. After a tension-filled at-bat by Passwaters, however, Scruggs, the next hitter, ended the game with one swing, singling to left field to score pinch runner Darby Brennan with the winning run.

Waterford finished as the Connecticut state champ for the second straight year, including a handful of players from this year's Waterford High School Class M state title team.

Berkman said it was "easy for us to play together," alluding to the strength of all of the players.

"They worked as a team. We told them at the beginning you guys can make it here if you work hard," Waterford manager Doug Boch said. "This is the best defensive game they played in the tournament. We kept 'em on the run."

Waterford started the first inning by loading the bases on an infield single by the speedy Boch, a single to center by Sarah Pacheco and a fielder's choice by Elphick.

In the second, Abbiati led off with a walk and Berkman singled, but Abbiati was thrown out trying to take third when the ball trickled away from the Delaware catcher. Each time, Scruggs got Delaware out of the inning.

v.fulkerson@theday.com