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LLWS Day 1 recap

By From staff reports 9 min read

Playing on his field of dreams, Mason Rincon lived nearly every Little Leaguer's dream Wednesday night at Lamade Stadium. One mighty swing and he cemented himself in Bayonne Little League lore.

Rincon crushed a walk-off home run into the bushes beyond center field as Bayonne, New Jersey edged Bridgewater, Massachusetts, 2-1, in a thrilling opening-round Series game.

Rincon had been pitched around at regionals and showed why when he led off the sixth inning with his long blast. He did so on a 1-1 pitch and dramatically ended a game which was exciting from start to finish with each team displaying excellent fielding and pitching.

"It was special, definitely. It was my first one and for it to be on this stage was awesome," Rincon said. "To feel that atmosphere in this stadium and hear the fans chanting my name was amazing."

Rincon also threw 4 1/3 brilliant innings on the mound, allowing two hits and striking out eight. Gabe Garcia earned the win in relief, throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings and fanning two. Rincon and Owen Feliz also combined on a superb double play which closed the fifth inning after Massachusetts put two on with one out.

Garcia and the defense came up big again in the sixth. JJ Gaff singled and went to second on a wild pitch with no outs. Sandwiched between two Garcia strikeouts, first baseman Leandro Anaya made a spectacular leaping grab of a Eamon Hayes headed down the right-field line. That play preserved a 1-1 tie.

New Jersey struck first in the opening inning with Garcia hitting a single, Feliz and Jett Bridges walking and Garcia scoring on a wild pitch. Massachusetts tied it in the third inning in emphatic fashion as Anthony Sullivan rocked a long lead-off home run to center field.

Both teams made super defensive plays to stymie rallies. That played a huge role in Massachusetts stranding 10 New Jersey runners through five innings. Dominick Mombleuer started for Massachusetts striking out eight in 3 1/3 innings.

New Jersey moves on to play Pennsylvania Friday at Lamade Stadium. Massachusetts will play the loser of Thursday's Ohio-Nevada game Saturday.

Washington 2, Alabama 0 (7 inn.)

Kasen Workman hit a clutch two-out RBI single and Frankie McCabe and Winston Weaver combined on a one-hit shutout as Tacoma, Washington won a 2-0, seven-inning thriller against Phenix City, Alabama in the opening American Little League World Series game, Wednesday at Lamade Stadium.

The game was scoreless through six innings with Alabama's Kinley Rasmus and McCabe locked in a duel through the first five before Weaver closed with two hitless innings and earned the win.

Rasmus delivered one of the best pitching performances by a girl in Series history, matching Mo'ne Davis's single-game record with eight strikeouts in her six brilliant innings. Rasmus opened with 4 2/3 no-hit innings and did not allow a run in six innings, allowing just that fifth inning Paxton Hansen two-out single. She also made an amazing leaping catch after moving to shortstop which saved a seventh-inning run.

McCabe and Weaver, though, matched Rasmus zero for zero. McCabe struck out five in his five innings, surrendering just a bunt first-inning single. He also left the bases loaded with one out in the first inning before Weaver closed with his two scoreless innings, striking out three. He stranded the ghost runner who starts at second to open extra innings and combined with McCabe to let just two runners reach third base.

Artie Hinzman hit a one-out single in the top of the seventh before Workman produced the hit of his life with two outs. Workman drilled an 0-1 pitch the opposite way into right field for an RBI single. When the ball was misplayed, Hinzman also scored and Washington led, 2-0.

"In the box, I was just waiting for my fastball because I knew I could hit the fastball," Workman said. "I felt like I had a lot of pressure, but I knew I could get the job done."

Washington handed Alabama its first loss this year and will play Texas Friday, back at Lamade Stadium. Alabama falls into the loser's bracket and will play the loser of Thursday's California-Iowa contest in an elimination game.

The last time, Phenix City was at the Series, it dropped its opener before capturing the 1999 U.S. championship.

South Korea 7, Canada 0

Canada did its best to limit the Asia-Pacific Regional champions from Seoul, South Korea early, but a three-run outburst in the third followed by a two-run performance in the fourth inning propelled South Korea to a 7-0 win against Canada on Wednesday at Volunteer Stadium.

In that third inning, it was a string of four straight hits, including a massive home run, which put South Korea ahead.

With one out, Ji Hwan Hong crushed a shot to left field that cleared both fences, just staying fair, to give South Korea a 2-0 lead. A single by Ji Wan Kim and a double by Do Yoon Kim put two runners on. That's when Jae Hyun Maeng came through with a two-RBI double to plate two more runs and make it a 4-0 lead.

"I knew it was a home run and it was a really cool experience," Hwan Hong said. "I enjoyed it."

South Korea out-hit Canada, 9-3. Do Yoon Kim (2 for 2, two runs) and Ji Wan Kim (2 for 3, run) both had multiple hits as Yoon Kim had a team-high two doubles, while Seo Jun Park (1 for 1, walk, two runs) and Jae Hyun Maeng (1 for 3) had doubles as well.

Canada was limited to singles by Jason Mezzarobba (1 for 2) and Daniel Huang (1 for 2) while Kian Sandhu (1 for 2) had the team's lone extra-base hit thanks to connecting on a double.

But the timely hits couldn't fall for Canada, as the team stranded four on base throughout the game and were held scoreless. Canada also committed three errors, something manager Brad Dorwart noted was uncharacteristic for the team.

"How we started was the way we were hoping for and playing for, obviously Korea's a very good team. Their hitters adjusted to what we were doing and our pitchers made a mistake and they jumped on it. It's gonna happen," Dorwart said. "They're 12-year-olds. At times when one mistake happens, it could lead to another. Especially for a lot of the boys, its the first time seeing this (crowd). The jitters and stuff that haven't happened for a long time happened."

Canada plays again on Saturday against either Australia or Mexico while South Korea advances to Friday's winners' bracket game against Brno, Czechia.

Nicaragua 2, Dominican Republic 0

Yansel Guzman got a hold of a pitch and sent it to right field to reach first. It was the spark the Dominican Republic needed against Nicaragua.

After it landed, James Cruceta Nin took off from second and quickly rounded third to try to score the game-tying run. That run never scored, however, as a great throw from Clemente Sevilla Pichardo to catcher Jose Martinez Padilla ended with a tag a few feet from home and the game-sealing out as Nicaragua won, 2-1, to advance in the winners' bracket as the Caribbean champions fall into the elimination bracket.

"We had good defense and good pitching, but not so good hitting," Dominican manager Pablo Padilla said.

Nicaragua had a gem of a pitching performance from Sevilla Pichardo before he moved to right for the final at bat, which limited the Dominican Republic's bats. Dominican Republic had just four hits as Sevilla Pichardo struck out 12 in 5 2/3 innings of work with just one walk issued and one run allowed in the victory.

"I'm so happy and proud. We dedicate this victory to our teammates that stayed behind," the pitcher noted.

"Clemente's a great pitcher and we rely on our pitching and defense. It's what gives us the victory: pitching and defense," Gabriel Rodriguez Mayorga said.

The Nicaragua all-stars had two players who had to stay behind after not being able to secure visas to travel to the United States.

Nicarauga scored its two runs in the top of the first and second innings. After Moises Estrada Juarez reached on a fielder's choice, he was driven in with an RBI double by Sevilla Pichardo.

An inning later, Marvin Gomez Pichardo reached with a shallow single. He was then brought home after reaching third on two passed balls and being walked in after a string of four consecutive walks.

But from there, Nicaragua was held scoreless as Dominican Republic pitcher Jostin Vega Nunez relieved Christofer Pichardo and dialed in.

Vega Nunez threw 3 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and allowed just one hit and one walk while Ethan Estevez threw the final two-third innings and had a strikeout with no walks allowed.

Estevez had the only extra-base hit for the Caribbean champions with a double as he finished his day 1 for 2 with an RBI.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Estevez connected with his double to left and it drove in Diego Suarez Herrera, who reached a batter later with a single up the middle into center. Hoever Estevez was stranded with back-to-back strikeouts.

In the sixth inning, Cruceta Nin reached on a one-out single, but a fly to right followed by the great right-to-home throw ended the game before the Dominican Republic could plate a run.

"Our last runner stumbled out of the base, but it was a great throw from the right fielder," Padilla said.

With the loss, the Caribbean champions will play the loser of the Japan/Curacao game in an elimination contest on Saturday at Volunteer Stadium.

Nicaragua plays again on Friday against Panama in a winners' bracket contest.

Nicaragua was led by Martinez Padilla (1 for 2), Estrada Juarez (run scored), Sevilla Pichardo (1 for 2, RBI, double), Joshwar Mercado Carrion (1 for 2) and Marvin Gomez Pichardo (1 for 2).

The Dominican Republic was led by Suarez Herrera (1 for 1, run), Estevez (1 for 2, double, RBI), Cruceta Nin (1 for 2) and Guzman (2 for 2).

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