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Pennsylvania puts it all together and defeats New Hampshire to advance at Little League World Series

By Chris Masse 4 min read

A closer look at the 5-0 Newtown, Pennsylvania win over Salem, New Hampshire, Saturday at Lamade Stadium.

PLAY OF THE GAME -- Gavin Caudill two-run double: Pennsylvania led 2-0 in the top of the fourth but only had two hits. With hits and runs at a premium, Caudill launched his two-run double to the center field wall, putting Pennsylvania up, 4-0. The hit was impressive itself but with Tyler Neeld sailing on the mound, it put New Hampshire in a precarious situation and helped point the way to victory.

PENNSYLVANIA PLAYER OF THE GAME -- Tyler Neeld: A super hitter all summer, Neeld also showed he is equally effective on the mound, delivering a masterful performance. The right-hander threw 5 1/3 shutout innings and struck out nine while allowing just two hits. Neeld retired eight straight at one point and 10 of the last 11 batters he faced, five via strikeout. He also collected a hit and scored a run.

NEW HAMPSHIRE PLAYER OF THE GAME -- Brayden Miller: New Hampshire’s clean-up hitter capped a big all-star run in strong fashion, going 1 for 1 with a walk. Miller was one only two players who reached base against Neeld over the first five innings.

BIG INNING--Pennsylvania fourth: After struggling to heat up for its first nine innings at the Series, Pennsylvania caught fire in the fourth inning, scoring four times and building a 5-0 lead. The Mid-Atlantic champions collected four hits, the same total they had all Series, in that inning and both Caudill and Ryan Uhl hit doubles which generated three runs. Brayden Peiffer started the rally with a lead-off walk, Neeld singled and Sav Longo hit an RBI single down the right field line which made it 2-0 before Caudill and Uhl delivered their big hits.

BEST EFFORT--Neeld’s pitching: It’s not just that Neeld was brilliant on the mound, it was that he went nearly the whole way and strengthened his teams’ prospects going forward. Neeld’s performance meant Pennsylvania preserved pitching and has everyone else eligible to throw Sunday afternoon. He also reverts back to 65 pitches which means he can throw again Wednesday if Pennsylvania were to make a run. It was a clutch performance in more ways than one as Neeld produced a pitching clinic, throwing 47 of 69 pitches for strikes, working ahead and mixing his pitches.

FLASHING LEATHER--Pennsylvania pitcher Tyler Neeld reached down low at the last second and stopped a hard-hit Nolan Dupuis grounder from going into center field for a two-out, first inning single. An inning later, Pennsylvania shortstop Brayden Peiffer did his best Ozzie Smith impersonation, flying through the air and making an incredible diving catch which robbed Jackson Lemire of a single. Peiffer dove to his left, making the catch near the left field grass. It was a huge play as instead of first and second with no outs, Peiffer produced the first out and helped Neeld retire the side. Massachusetts shortstop Kevin McDonough also showcased his defensive prowess, making a terrific play which saved two runs in the fifth inning. With runners on second and third, Neeld smashed a liner which looked like it might go into the left-center gap. Instead, McDonough went into the hole, made a small leap and snared the liner, ending the inning in the process. McDonough did it again in the sixth inning. This time, he caught a wicked Greyson Gage liner before making a perfect throw to first baseman Jacob Guerrero-Lomba and completing a double play.

WHAT THE ADULTS SAY--"Today was more of a, ‘I’m not going to give you a fire and brimstone speech. This is what we do, we play baseball," Pennsylvania manager Brad Hamilton said. "You learn to bounce back in situations like this. You learn to pick yourself up. I just said you know what to do. I said, ‘Ty you’re getting the ball, boys you’re playing defense behind him and we’re going to play good baseball, and they did.’"

WHAT THE KIDS SAY--"When I heard I was getting the ball I was very excited," Neeld said. "I knew I was going to throw strikes and I knew my defense had my back."

WHAT IT MEANS--Pennsylvania keeps its dream season going and ensures itself a top 8 place in the country. The Mid-Atlantic champions will play another elimination game Sunday at 1 p.m. against Washington. The winner of that game will move into the field’s last six. New Hampshire concluded a historic season, and the Salem Youth Baseball all-stars established themselves as the best in league history, reaching the Series for the first time.

Starting at /week.