Pearland, Texas has proven to be resilient
Trending
As the wins piled up, Pearland, Texas manager Aaron Cummings learned a lot. He learned how potent his team's offense was, how deep its pitching could go and how much his defense flourished.
Really, there was only one unknown. Pearland blasted its way through districts, regionals and states, dominating strong opponents, including 2017 U.S. Champion Lufkin.
So devastating was Pearland that it never trailed until playing at the Southwest Regional tournament in Waco, Texas. So, when people asked Cummings how his team could handle tough times, he truly could not give an informed answer. He was as curious as everyone else.
Cummings sure knows now. And he loves the answer his team has provided.
Pearland made in three comeback wins in four games when it defeated crowd favorite Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, 8-3, in its Little League World Series opener last Thursday. This came after Pearland, erased a 3-0, fifth-inning deficit against Mississippi and a 4-3 deficit in the Southwest final against Oklahoma at regionals.
"They're some resilient kids for sure. It's even more special because we hadn't been down. Other people asked how respond to adversity and I didn't know," Cummings said. "I told them I think we'll respond really well. That was my gut, and I'm glad I was right."
Pearland has proven Texas Tough, winning taking those comeback victories in different fashion. It faced a unique challenge against Hollidaysburg with the team located just 90 minutes from the Series drawing a large crowd of 18,352.
Most of those fans were there for Hollidaysburg and when the Mid-Atlantic champions took a 2-0 first-inning lead they were roaring. It was the kind of atmosphere which could shake professional players, let alone 11- and 12-year-old players.
But Pearland was not intimidated. This team embraced the environment and thrived in it. Eight players combined for nine hits and Colby Kahn and Kaiden Shelton pitched gems as Pearland scored six fifth-inning runs and built an 8-2 lead.
"I've always dreamed of playing in Williamsport and that many people coming to watch our game was super cool," shortstop Drew Chadwick said. "I'm kind of happy there were more Pennsylvania fans than Texas because it was kind of like an upset."
"We felt down but all we did was just pick each other up and we kept talking to each other. Our coaches picked us up and said we've got this" Shelton said. "Once we got some hits we came back as a team. We almost became louder than the Pennsylvania crowd. Just because there's 18,000-19,000 people there doesn't mean we have to have that many nerves."
Pearland learned how to control those nerves at regionals, starting with the comeback against Mississippi in the winner's bracket semifinals. There, Pearland trailed 3-0 in the fifth inning and were struggling against a strong pitcher. Down to its final six outs and facing unfamiliar territory, Pearland showed its coaches, fans and opponents how much fight it has.
Pearland scored twice in the fifth inning and four go-ahead runs in the sixth, rallying for a 6-4 win. It was an eye-opening win because Pearland showed itself that as long as there are outs to be made, it always has a chance. Pearland made five errors in the first two innings that game, the same amount it had made all summer entering the game, but like great teams do, dug deep and won a game when not operating at peak capacity.
"Mississippi was really the first time they were really tested, being down and losing into the fifth inning 3-0. At that point they definitely showed some gumption," Pearland coach and 2015 U.S. Finalist manager Andrew Solomon said. "That game was definitely a gut-check and one that showed the boys are going to compete even if they are down which they hadn't been all summer by that kind of deficit. It wasn't our best performance but they showed a lot of heart in that game."
That trend continued in the championship against Oklahoma. In addition to trailing 4-3 in the second inning, Pearland was fighting some emotions. Shelton was devastated after hitting Isaiah Jarvis in the head. In a moment which immediately went viral, Jarvis embraced Shelton and told him he was fine.
Shelton later hit a key double and all parts of the Pearland machine clicked into gear as it fought back for a 9-4 win, giving Pearland its fourth regional championship since 2010.
"They faced a lot of adversity, but they never lost belief in each other. They just kept battling,: Pearland Little League president Troy Johnson said. "It was exciting. This group has been really tight. They have really come together."
That is especially impressive most of these players competed on different teams during the regular season. The team was formed in June and, in two months, has started displaying the same kind of chemistry as their beloved nearby Houston Astros.
Players have built a trust and chemistry. Put it together and that produces a strong bond which cannot be broken. That was the case in those comeback wins, but it also will be the case moving forward.
These teammates will go different directions in life, but they can always come back to the moments they have created for themselves, their fans and their community. Those moments will bond them forever.
Especially the ones in which they revealed their heart.
"The bond that they're forming is something that when they go to college and go years down the road, they will still talk about frequently when they get together," Cummings said. "It's something they'll always be associated with. They will never will forget it and it's something that they will always remember."