Rob Carr/Getty Images
Regional action for the Little League World Series continued once again on Thursday.
The Great Lakes, Southeast and Southwest regions all have their entries for Williamsport locked in, while the Metro was not in action. However, the remaining six regions were on the diamond, with two teams clinching a trip to Williamsport and the others getting one step closer to the goal.
Here’s a look at the day’s action.
Midwest Region
South Dakota def. Iowa, 3-0 (7)
Mid-Atlantic Region
Washington D.C. def Maryland, 6-1
Mountain Region
Nevada def. Colorado, 4-0
New England Region
New Hampshire def. Maine, 2-0
Northwest Region
Washington def. Idaho, 13-7
Washington 13, Idaho 7
Washington scored eight times in the sixth inning to turn a one-run deficit into a 13-7 victory over Idaho in the Little League Northwest Region championship game.
The rally started after Idaho pitcher Braden Louwsma got the first two outs quickly. He struck out Jaxob Jacobs and got Zander Hoover to ground out.
Rawly Jennings’ double kickstarted things for Washington. Connor Morey’s single tied the score at six. Brayden Blair followed with an RBI single to put the team ahead for the first time all game.
Jett Taylor delivered the big blow with a three-run homer that made the score 11-6. Idaho got a run back in the bottom of the frame on an error, but it left the bases loaded to end the game.
Taylor finished the game 2-for-3 with a homer, double and five RBI. Kohen Willis struck out five in three innings of relief to get the win.
Louwsma was terrific at the plate in the loss. He went 2-for-2 with a two-run homer and a walk.
This marks the third straight year that the state of Washington will be represented in the Little League World Series. The Northeast Seattle Little League team reached the U.S. semifinal last year.
South Dakota 3, Iowa 0 (7)
Runs were at a premium as South Dakota and Iowa aimed for a spot in the Midwest Region championship game.
South Dakota’s Ryan Henry and Iowa’s Cole Everhart were both masterful on the mound, with Henry tossing 5.2 innings and Everhart lasting the full six. Henry allowed just two hits and three walks while striking out nine. Everhart allowed three hits, three walks and one run while striking out eight.
The damage came in the seventh inning, when South Dakota loaded the bases and Henry drew a hit-by-pitch to score the go-ahead run. South Dakota would tack on two more with a Luke Fenton RBI hit and Griffin Sommer would shut it down in the bottom of the inning to secure the win.
South Dakota now advances to the final against Missouri. This is a rematch from Wednesday, when Missouri won 6-4.
Washington D.C. 6, Maryland 1
Washington D.C. appears to be a different team from the one that started in the Mid-Atlantic Region.
After dropping the opener in blowout fashion to Pennsylvania, D.C has rattled off two consecutive victories to advance to the regional final and earn a rematch against Pennsylvania.
The Maryland game had a slow start with it being scoreless through the first two innings. D.C. then rattled off three runs in the top of the third and added three more for insurance in the fifth.
Maryland added one in the bottom of the fifth but that is all it could muster. D.C’s Casey Meier earned the win with a complete game performance in which he stranded seven hits and allowed just the single run.
Nevada 4, Colorado 0
Nevada’s run in the Mountain Region survives another day.
The team’s back was against the wall after an opening loss to Montana, but Paseo Verde Little League has now rattled off three consecutive victories to clinch a spot in the region championship.
Nevada scored one run in the opening inning to get the momentum going and added insurance in the fourth-and-fifth innings. However, the single run was all it needed as Gunnar Gaudin twirled six innings of two-hit ball to secure the win.
Nevada now faces Utah for the first time in the tournament with a spot in Williamsport on the line.
New Hampshire 2, Maine 0
New Hampshire earned the New England regional championship and clinched a spot in the Little League World Series with a shutout win against Maine.
A sac-bunt got New Hampshire on the board in the third inning. An RBI single in the fourth was enough to put the game away.
Maine threatened with a runner on third in the sixth inning, but New Hampshire was able to secure the victory on a called strike three.
Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. This website makes no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you are affiliated with this page and would like it removed please contact editor @pleasantgrove.business
