Fantastic defense, late home runs help Texas eliminate Hollidaysburg in excellent Series game

A closer look at Pearland, Texas’s 8-4 win over Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, Wednesday at Lamade Stadium

PLAY OF THE GAME--Corey Kahn saves the day: Texas led 4-3 in the third inning when Braden Hatch blasted a flyball deep into left field. It was sailing over the fence when Kahn did his best Ken Griffey Jr impression and jumped out to rob Hatch of the game-tying home run. Kahn went up against the wall, jumped high and made a catch which likely will long be shown on television Little League World Series highlights. Kahn’s catch completely changed the game’s complexion and the momentum translated to offense as Texas took control late and pulled away for the win. Kahn also caught before closing out the game on the mound and allowing just two hits in three innings.

TEXAS PLAYER OF THE GAME--Jacob Zurek: Between stellar defense and timely hitting, Texas has a lot of stars in this win, but Zurek wins this honor in a close call. He helped set the tone when he smashed a double off the right field wall to open the game and kept going from there. Zurek finished 3 for 4 with a home run, double and three runs, while also shining defensively.

PENNSYLVANIA PLAYER OF THE GAME--Caleb Detrick: A force in the middle of Pennsylvania’s lineup all season, Detrick produced well again. He finished 1 for 2 with a double, RBI and run. He ignited a fifth-inning rally with a leadoff double and also played strong defense.

BIG INNING--Texas fifth and sixth: Yes, this is cheating but, really, these two innings have to go together. It was 4-3 after four and Pennsylvania kept threatening, so getting some breathing room was crucial. The offense came alive, producing two runs in each inning as Texas went up 6-3 and then 8-4. Texas produced six of its nine hits in those two innings and Manny Castillo and Kaiden Shelton highlighted each one with two-run home runs.

BEST EFFORT--Texas defense: Yes, the Southwest champions made an error, but their defense was ridiculous Wednesday night. Time after time, Pennsylvania hit balls which looked like sure hits and time after time Texas made the plays and turned them into outs. Had it not been for so many great plays, Pennsylvania likely would have taken a lead by the middle innings. The defensive spark permeated through all facets and Texas took charge over the last two innings. Fittingly, Texas helped seal the win with another gem as shortstop Jacob Zurek raced well into left field, jumped and caught an Aspen Anderson, robbing him of a leadoff single.

HOME RUNS: Zurek missed a leadoff home run to start the game by a few feet. He didn’t miss out on a home run his second time up. This time, Zurek smashed a line drive over the fence in right-center field and gave his team a 4-3 lead. Manny Castillo has provided big-time thunder off the bench all summer and did so at the perfect time in the fifth inning. It was still a one-run game when Castillo launched a long, two-run home run to right-center field. Castillo is 3 for 4 with a home run and a triple in his last four at-bats and this clutch home run gave Texas a 6-3 lead. Kaiden Shelton helped Texas land a knockout blow an inning later when he bashed a mammoth home run onto the hill beyond center field. It was the second straight game in which Shelton homered in a big spot and this latest one put Texas up, 8-4.

FLASHING LEATHER: It looked like Texas would push its lead to 4-0 in the first inning when Ethan Richardson hit a missile down the third-base line. Pennsylvania third baseman Chase Link, however, showed his glove is as dangerous as his bat. He made a difficult stop on the one-hopper before making a strong throw to first and ending the inning. Speaking of coming up huge with runners on base, Austin Cummings made a similar spectacular play from the other side of the infield in the bottom of the second. Beau Rabel hit a rocket down the line which looked like it would either go for a game-tying, two-run double, or go-ahead three-run triple. But Cummings made a fantastic back-handed stop and tagged first for the second out, keeping Texas temporarily ahead, 3-2. Cummings flashed the leather again in the second inning. This time he extended his glove about as far as it could go and snagged a Nate Phillips liner headed down the line for the inning’s second out. It was a big out because Chase Link followed with a two-out single and reached second base before the side was retired. The defensive gems continued in the third inning with Nate Phillips saving a run with a diving catch. The Pennsylvania center fielder raced in, dove and snared a Malachi Clark sinking liner which would have loaded the bases with no outs or brought in a run. Aspen Anderson struck out the next two batters and Phillips’s catch helped Pennsylvania strand two runners with no outs. Pennsylvania catcher Braden Hatch prevented the Texas fifth inning rally for growing when he showed off his arm. Runners were on the corners, but Hatch made a snap throw to shortstop Ty McGough who applied a quick tag to catch the runner going to second for the final out. McGough then went Ozzie Smith in the sixth inning, stretching out and somehow stopping a Clark ball hit straight up the middle. McGough laid out, made the stop and tagged the base in one motion.

WHAT THE ADULTS SAY: "Being able to soak that in and understanding that they’ve really done a great thing being able to be among the final four teams in the United States and top eight in the world is amazing," Pennsylvania manager Jim McGough said. "I think once they get home and really appreciate the accomplishment that they truly achieved it’s going to put a lot of smiles on their faces. It hurts in the moment, which is expected, but they had an amazing journey."

"Pennsylvania is not going for us, so it was getting loud; it was getting close, and it was a one-run game at the time, and it really energized our boys," Texas manager Aaron Cummings said of Kahn’s amazing catch. "I’m sure I blew out some kind of circuit on the microphone because I screamed. It energized them because they knew what happened. No doubt that was a catalyst for the rest of the game. It was huge. It was definitely a turning point."

WHAT THE KIDS SAY: "I thought it was just a long pop up and then I felt the warning track. I was still going back, and I had my hands up and I hit the wall and my arm went back and I caught it. It was like a snow cone," Kahn said. "I didn’t think I caught it at first and then I saw that I caught it and felt it and was like ‘Oh my gosh, I just robbed a home run!’ I guarantee you a lot of people were happier than I was because I didn’t even process it."

WHAT IT MEANS: For a third time in four Series appearances, the Pearland Little League will finish among the country’s top three teams. Texas won its second straight elimination game and earned a spot in Thursday’s loser’s bracket final against Tennessee. The winner of that game will play Hawaii for the U.S. Championship Saturday afternoon. Hollidaysburg capped a historic and sensational summer-long run, finishing fourth in the United States. Hollidaysburg was 10-0 in elimination games before Wednesday’s loss. A league which did not exist eight years ago captured the program’s first state and regional championships and captivated its community along the way.