Rhode Island
Cumberland American LL went to the Little League World Series back in 2012. They'll be taking another crack at it in 2014 after an 8-7 victory over Cranston Western in the state championship. Cumberland has shown a ton of home run power in their run to the regionals. Sean Meers had a two homer game, Nick Croteau had a two homer game, and Struble has had a two homer game. That's just in states. CJ Davock and Addison Kopack have hammered some big ones too.
Connecticut
The state finals are set. Connecticut's Best-of-3 series will start on Saturday with perennial powerhouse (and recently vandalized) Fairfield American taking on South Windsor National. Both teams needed extra innings and two days to put away their opponents in the single-elimination section championships. Fairfield American Vince Camera hit a two-out single in the bottom of the 8th to give FALL a 2-1 victory. Camera drove in both runs including a solo homer earlier in the game against Farmington's big ace pitcher. Camera has nine home runs in 11 games for Fairfield American. Jamie Flink is another big bat in the FALL lineup. For South Windsor, Caleb Kuhns crushed two home runs including a two-run shot to force extra innings.
Massachusetts
The Massachusetts state final four kicked off with powerful Section 1 champion, Holden, continuing to flex its muscles. After averaging 17 runs per game on the way through districts and sections, Holden continued its torrid offensive pace with a 13-3 victory over Barnstable. Peter Field smacked two home runs. Holden burned its ace for the rest of the tournament because of yet another terrible tournament format. Newton SouthEast, the defending state champions with three players back, blanked Hamilton-Wenham, 5-0. They went 20s with their pitching too. Interesting move. They face Holden next.
Maine
Last year, Saco won the Maine state title through the losers bracket. Now, they're one game away from doing it again. After losing in the second round, Saco has won four games in four days and is looking for the fifth against Falmouth to take the title. Will Mitchell hit a pair of 3-run homers and Pat Sawyer battled on the mound. Sawyer was on the losing end of the first matchup between these two teams. He struck out 10 in 4.1 innings today.
Ohio
Ethan Fletcher hit a game-winning single in the sixth to give Canfield a crazy 5-4 victory over regional and state power Hamilton West Side. Dominic Pilolli threw 5 2/3 for Canfield to get the victory. Canfield allowed a 4-2 lead to evaporate into a 5-4 HWS lead before a two-run rally in the bottom of the sixth.
Pennsylvania
Taney from Philly shocked slight favorite Collier 13-10 (they led 13-1 in the 3rd) behind two home runs from Joe Richardson. MoNe Davis pitched two strong innings and gave up just two hits to the power hitting team from Western PA. Taney has Richardson and Kai Cummings available in the final as well as Davis and Sprague-Lott for the "if" game. Red Land and Collier will so battle for the right to face Taney. Both teams have their pitching lined up as well.
California
All tournament long, I've struggled to find news on the California squads. In Southern California, the Best-of-3 championship series will feature Encinitas vs. Long Beach after both squads were forced into "if" games by Ocean View and Thousand Oaks, respectively. In Northern California, it was all Pacifica American from the beginning of the district tournament to the NorCal state championship game. Woodcreek gave Pacifica all it could handle in a 17-15 championship. Elijah Ricks could be one of those household names if Pacifica win the West Regional. Watch out for him but the whole team hits.
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