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Newark National (DE) 15, Capitol City (DC) 4 (4 innings)
For the second straight year, Newark National is playing for the Mid-Atlantic region championship. After struggling in its pool play opener against Capitol City, Newark went right to work in the first inning and never looked back.
The top three spots in the batting order (Brett Callahan, Nate Hardcastle, Joey Davis, and sub David Hawtof) went 8-for-9 with three home runs, nine RBI, and 11 runs scored. In the 12 plate appearances, none of them made an out.
It was an offensive explosion that continued from Newark’s final pool play game against New Jersey. Nate Hardcastle, Newark’s most imposing player, broke out of his homerless streak here in Bristol with two monster home runs including one off the scoreboard in deep centerfield. Joey Davis continued his torrid home run streak with his seventh home run in seven games including three this week.
Ryan Miller added a solo home run in the third inning giving Delaware seven home runs from five different players over the last two games.
For the second straight year, Newark National is playing for the Mid-Atlantic region championship. After struggling in its pool play opener against Capitol City, Newark went right to work in the first inning and never looked back.
The top three spots in the batting order (Brett Callahan, Nate Hardcastle, Joey Davis, and sub David Hawtof) went 8-for-9 with three home runs, nine RBI, and 11 runs scored. In the 12 plate appearances, none of them made an out.
It was an offensive explosion that continued from Newark’s final pool play game against New Jersey. Nate Hardcastle, Newark’s most imposing player, broke out of his homerless streak here in Bristol with two monster home runs including one off the scoreboard in deep centerfield. Joey Davis continued his torrid home run streak with his seventh home run in seven games including three this week.
Ryan Miller added a solo home run in the third inning giving Delaware seven home runs from five different players over the last two games.
Capitol City got on the scoreboard in the third inning with
four runs after working Delaware’s starting pitcher for 85+ pitches in less
than three innings. Rory Friel and Sofia Ohanian each singled and Zach Lordan
and Adin McGurk worked RBI walks.
Delaware stayed away from the dangerous Robert Reynolds in his first two plate appearances as the star hitter drew a pair of walks, but in his final at-bat in Bristol, he ripped a line drive single over Hardcastle’s head at short. It was his eighth hit in his last nine at-bats to finish with a .733 batting average. Ohanian set my unofficial record for hits by a female player in the East Region since at least 2000.
Lionville (PA) 9, Berlin (MD) 3
Based on some scoreboard watching before the tournament, Lionville was considered one of the tournament favorites. After its 4-0 start, it was still unclear what Pennsylvania’s potential was. They looked the part physically. They had hard throwers and home run power, but it didn’t look completely put together… until today.
Connor Kalten allowed just two earned runs in 4 2/3 innings, giving up four hits and striking out 11. It was his best pitching performance of the tournament. At the plate, Lionville showed great poise in waiting out Berlin’s crafty Hayden Snelsire and drew an unusual five walks from Maryland’s best spot-hitting pitcher.
Pennsylvania struck for three runs in the second inning with an RBI double from the hot-hitting Zach Burton, and an RBI single from Scott Jewett. The big blow came in the fourth inning when Michael Rodriguez hit a monster blast to left field for a grand slam.
Delaware stayed away from the dangerous Robert Reynolds in his first two plate appearances as the star hitter drew a pair of walks, but in his final at-bat in Bristol, he ripped a line drive single over Hardcastle’s head at short. It was his eighth hit in his last nine at-bats to finish with a .733 batting average. Ohanian set my unofficial record for hits by a female player in the East Region since at least 2000.
Lionville (PA) 9, Berlin (MD) 3
Based on some scoreboard watching before the tournament, Lionville was considered one of the tournament favorites. After its 4-0 start, it was still unclear what Pennsylvania’s potential was. They looked the part physically. They had hard throwers and home run power, but it didn’t look completely put together… until today.
Connor Kalten allowed just two earned runs in 4 2/3 innings, giving up four hits and striking out 11. It was his best pitching performance of the tournament. At the plate, Lionville showed great poise in waiting out Berlin’s crafty Hayden Snelsire and drew an unusual five walks from Maryland’s best spot-hitting pitcher.
Pennsylvania struck for three runs in the second inning with an RBI double from the hot-hitting Zach Burton, and an RBI single from Scott Jewett. The big blow came in the fourth inning when Michael Rodriguez hit a monster blast to left field for a grand slam.
Berlin added three runs late in the game but never truly got
back in it. Ryan Duncan finished with two hits, Billy Wheatley, Hayden
Snelsire, and Cole Gursky added singles, and Wes Powell had the lone RBI.
Joseph Cestare and Michael Rodriguez closed the game out with a combined 1 1/3
innings of no runs.
Lionville (PA) (5-0) vs. Newark National (DE) (4-1)
Lionville (PA) (5-0) vs. Newark National (DE) (4-1)
Seven berths in the Little League World Series are locked up. It all comes down to this battle in the Mid-Atlantic. Lionville, Pennsylvania comes in unbeaten, and Newark National, Delaware comes in with the best pitcher in the Mid-Atlantic region, Nate Hardcastle.
Either Michael Rodriguez or Joe Janick will get the ball for Pennsylvania and they'll have the task of matching Delaware's ace. Hardcastle lives in the mid-70s with a nasty diving slider. He has 18 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings pitched and hasn't allowed an earned run. Hardcastle and Davis are great hitters, and only one player on the roster is hitting less than .300.
Despite being very good hitters, Pennsylvania has yet to hit to its potential in the regional and they're still unbeaten. Joe Janick has led Lionville to this point, but has slumped in Bristol. If he breaks out, Lionville will be impossible to beat.
Connor Kalten, Michael Rodriguez, and Zach Burton have supplied the power numbers and Joe Cestare and Justin Best have gotten on base at the top of the order. Lionville puts pressure on teams with its ridiculous on-base plus slugging percentage. Six players have a 1.000 OPS% or better.
Lionville will need to work Hardcastle's pitch count and get him out of the game while matching zeroes early on. With the amount of walks that Lionville's staff allows, it's going to be tough. If Hardcastle lasts into the fifth inning, I think Newark, Delaware will become the second team from The First State to reach Williamsport.
Prediction: Newark (DE) 2, Lionville (PA) 1
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Either Michael Rodriguez or Joe Janick will get the ball for Pennsylvania and they'll have the task of matching Delaware's ace. Hardcastle lives in the mid-70s with a nasty diving slider. He has 18 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings pitched and hasn't allowed an earned run. Hardcastle and Davis are great hitters, and only one player on the roster is hitting less than .300.
Despite being very good hitters, Pennsylvania has yet to hit to its potential in the regional and they're still unbeaten. Joe Janick has led Lionville to this point, but has slumped in Bristol. If he breaks out, Lionville will be impossible to beat.
Connor Kalten, Michael Rodriguez, and Zach Burton have supplied the power numbers and Joe Cestare and Justin Best have gotten on base at the top of the order. Lionville puts pressure on teams with its ridiculous on-base plus slugging percentage. Six players have a 1.000 OPS% or better.
Lionville will need to work Hardcastle's pitch count and get him out of the game while matching zeroes early on. With the amount of walks that Lionville's staff allows, it's going to be tough. If Hardcastle lasts into the fifth inning, I think Newark, Delaware will become the second team from The First State to reach Williamsport.
Prediction: Newark (DE) 2, Lionville (PA) 1
Join the Little League World Series discussion on Facebook with some of the best baseball minds around right here: Little League World Series Discussion
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