2014 Eastern Region: Day 3 Recap

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Courtesy of  Paul Alesse, LiSPN.com. 

Taney (PA) 8, Newark National (DE) 4

The first game of the tournament between two teams that can win this thing had an excitement in the air on Sunday morning. It could've had something to do with the fact that Mo'Ne Davis was getting the start against a team with Little League World Series veterans. Davis looked cool and calm during her warm up routine and that unflappable swagger continued right into the game. Davis induced a pop up and struck out Delaware's two best hitters to start the game and she did it with a fastball that gets into the mid to upper sixties and a curveball that she puts where she wants. She took a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts into the sixth inning as Taney dominated the game with an 8-1 lead. Davis lost some zip on her fastball by the sixth inning and the third time through the order Jack Hardcastle and Brandon Sengphachanh hit back-to-back homers to make it 8-4. Joe Richardson came into get the final out of the game though and preserve the 8-4 victory. Jared Sprague-Lott blasted his tournament-leading second home run. Jahli Hendrick was 3-for-3. He's now 6-for-6 in two games. Newark National committed four errors. Three of which were pretty uncharacteristic. One was a rocket by Zion Spearman that anyone would've had trouble getting in front of at shortstop. Spearman, Taney's most feared hitter, is actually hitless this weekend so far.

Check out the rest after the jump!

2014 Eastern Region: Day 2 Recap

Check out the tournament previews HERE and HERE

Catch the Day 1 Recap HERE


Taney (PA) 11, West Salisbury (MD) 1, 4 innings

Pennylvania began its tournament on Saturday morning with an impressive showing against Maryland. Jared Sprague-Lott threw 2 2/3 innings of no-hit ball and it wasn't even the sharpest I've seen him (he walked four). Jack Rice and Sprague-Lott each homered and Jahli Hendricks was 3-for-3 with two doubles. As expected, they're in the top two in the region, but we'll know a lot more in the morning.

Check out the rest after the jump!

2014 Eastern Region: Day 1 Recap

Newark National (DE) 13, West Salisbury (MD) 7

This game looked like it would be a laugher by the third inning as Newark banged out nine hits in the second and third innings and scored 13 runs. The game wasn't super crisp with nine total errors (Little League only charged seven), but West Salisbury battled to the end. It's pitching only allowed three hits in the other four innings combined and Maryland struck out 12 batters total. Seth Abbey did a nice job in relief. Delaware's pitching wasn't the sharpest, but the staff threw strikes all day. Newark's four returning players were as good as expected, but the support cast showed they can hit the ball. Delaware definitely has some depth. My assessment after this one though? I'm sticking with my 0-4, and 2-2 predictions.

Check out the rest after the jump!

LIVE Scores for ALL 8 Regionals in one spot!

Check out all eight regional scoreboards from Game Changer right here in one place so you know what's happening across the country. Bookmark the link and share it!

2014 New England Regional Tournament Preview

Check out the 2013 New England Region Preview right here to see how I did last summer. Like the Mid-Atlantic last year, I correctly picked both finalists. In New England? I had the champion picked from the get-go. As usual, I whiffed on one semifinal team. This year feels like it will be tougher to gauge. Let's get into it.

Check out the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Tournament Preview right here

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2014 Mid-Atlantic Region Preview

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Check out my 2013 Mid-Atlantic Region Preview to see how I did last year. I can tell you too. I picked the two finalists correctly, and three of the four semifinalists. I missed DC, obviously. However, my individual picks, I had both semifinals correct and the championship correct (I changed my pick as the tournament went on to Delaware). Overall I was 25-5 for the entire East Regional. Okay, enough back patting. Here we go...

Roundup: Girl Power Helps Toms River Win NJ State Title (7/28/14)

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New Jersey

Kayla Roncin is the third girl to win a state championship this year (that we know of) and she was a main cog in Toms River's 7-6 victory over Ocean City/Upper Township during the "if game" of the state title series. Roncin broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run smash earlier in the game and then picked up the save on the mound facing a 2-0 count and the bases juiced. She needed just one pitch to induce a short fly ball to centerfield that starting pitcher Jon Giordano chased down and laid out for to set off the celebration. Giordano, Toms River's big star, pitched 5 1/3 innings and struck out 12. He was intentionally or unintentially walked seven straight times in two days at the plate.



Source


Delaware

Newark National won its fourth straight state championship, a new record in the state of Delaware, with a 10-5 victory over a very tough Woodbridge squad. AJ Blanchard blanked Woodbridge three days to reach the state title game, and then in today's "if game" he cranked two home runs to lead Newark to victory. Jack Hardcastle got the start and ripped a double. David Hawtof and Brett Callahan closed the game out. Callahan had a big double as well.


Random Thoughts: There's just one more spot left in the regional field. It's Massachusetts. That game is tonight at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Once all the champions are named, I'll get to work on my Mid-Atlantic and New England Regional previews. Then the day-to-day in-depth posts. It's the best coverage of a Little League Regional tournament anywhere. Don't worry other regions, we'll still be checking in with you before Williamsport regularly. As usual, if you're going to see every game at another regional tournament and would like to write for us, just send me an email at section1guycom@aol.com.


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It's Title Sunday! Only 10 Spots Left! (7/27/14)

There's only 10 spots left in the regionals. We've filled 42 of them. All ten of the remaining slots could be filled on Sunday (barring weather or "if" games on Monday). Let's look back at Saturday's action and see what happened.


West Virginia

There's a great chance for at least three girls (that we know of so far) to reach the regionals around the country. The first secured her spot by doing it on the mound. Emily Riggs pitched Bridgeport to its third straight state title in the 11/12 year old division in the 12-2 victory over Morgan County. Riggs allowed two runs on four hits and struck out six. Ben Mossburg gave Bridgeport the lead in the first inning with a two-run blast and Bridgeport never looked back. Nick Stalnaker added a home run in the third inning and Riggs drilled a two-run double. Cody Tomasik added a three-run double.

Iowa

Sioux City Headid won the state title with a 9-6 victory over Grandview in the title game. Headid finished the Iowa state tournament with a 7-1 record after a perfect record in districts. Watch out for the bats of Peyton Popken, Kobe Clayborne and Justin Kirwan.

Montana

Mount Sentinel took Game 1 in the Best-of-3 series against Boulder Arrowhead, 1-0. Game 2 and if necessary, Game 3, will both be on Sunday. Mount Sentinel took the 'W' with great pitching from Jack Leary (4 innings) and Kaden Heidrick (2 innings). Kellan Feeley drove in Preston Jones for the game's only run.

Southern California

Long Beach and Encinitas split a doubleheader in the Best-of-3 Southern California State Championship Series. The third and final game will be played today with the winner advancing to San Bernardino. Long Beach took Game 1, 12-2, behind the pitching of it's dominant ace. Encinitas' bats woke up in Game 2 to pick up a 9-3 victory, forcing Sunday's action.

Ohio

After losing to Canfield in the winners bracket final, Hamilton West Side, the six-time state champions, expected to make a run at the title. They did just that with a 9-2 victory in the morning to force an "if" game, but the 'Little Engine That Could' from Canfield held onto a 3-2 victory, earning the state championship. Brandon Mikos threw a great game for Canfield in the "if game" victory and escaped a lot of jams.

Florida

Florida is a black hole of information. South Brandon will play for the state championship as the winner's of Pool A. It's unclear if they'll be playing Bayshore or North Springs. It's pending results. What's crazy is the fact that South Brandon lost its final pool play game to drop into a 3-way tie for first. They allowed 7 runs. Port St. Lucie beat them 3-1 today. That one run allowed was the difference because Port St. Lucie allowed 8 runs in their three games giving South Brandon the championship berth by a fraction. North Springs was the title favorite coming in but ran into a buzzsaw ace in Game 1 against Bayshore and lost 2-0. North Springs didn't allow another run or hit in the tournament with a 12-0 victory and a 20-0 victory. If Bayshore lost to Baker County and gave up more runs per inning (i.e. 3ish), North Springs could advance.

Connecticut

State powerhouse Fairfield American flexed its muscles in Game 1 of the the state championship Best-of-3 series with a 10-0 victory in five innings. Sam Davenport tossed a two-hit shutout to pickup the victory on the mound. Fairfield's lineup was relentless with hard-hit ball after hard-hit ball. None of them left the yard, which may be even more terrifying for South Windsor in Game 2.

New York

Colonie took a big step towards its first state championship since 2004 with a 15-1 clubbing of previously unbeaten Wappinger. It was Colonie's fourth win in four days and they'll need a fifth in five days to take the title. Wappinger dropped Colonie into the losers bracket with a 10-7 victory on opening day. Both offenses are lethal, so it will come down to who's pitching holds up at the end of the tournament.

Pennsylvania

Collier Township forced an "if" game against Taney of Philadelphia with a 7-2 victory. Jake Meneskie tossed a great game for Collier after allowed two runs in the first inning including a solo blast off the bat of Mo'Ne Davis. Austin Hendrick ripped a three-run home run and Sam Tortorella added a solo shot in the victory. Tortorella should get the ball for Collier in the championship game. The probable starter for Taney is Davis. She was effective in two innings of work against Collier a couple days ago.



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Little League Friday Recap (7/26)

Oregon

Bend North took home the Oregon state championship with a 14-4 victory over Gresham behind 5 strong innings on the mound by Drew Steelhammer. Bend North had a sixth-inning victory earlier in the tournament and Steelhammer has been responsible for a lot of big hits.

Massachusetts

Holden moved to 2-0 in the four-team round robin with a grand slam off the bat of Peter Field in a 4-2 victory over defending state champions, Newton SouthEast. It was his third homer in two games. He also pitched 5 1/3 innings to pick up the win. The 2-0 deficit was the first time Holden has trailed all summer. Newton SouthEast and Barnstable play on Sunday. The winner is in the state championship game with Holden.

Delaware

Newark National is just one win away from its fourth consecutive state championship and a shot at defending its Mid-Atlantic regional title after a 9-0 victory over Woodbridge in the winners bracket final of the state tournament. A.J. Blanchard tossed five innings of two-hit, scoreless ball and one of the four returning players from last year's LLWS team, Brett Callahan blasted a home run to give Newark National some breathing room and then a big fifth inning turned it into a rout.

Tennessee

Like Delaware, Tennessee is looking for a repeat champion from the region, and they took a step closer. South Nashville will defend its regional crown after knocking off Karns 4-1 in the state title game. Barrett Smith, Garrett Justice, and Robert Hassell (returning player). Blake Money (returning player) was excellent on the bump with 10 strikeouts and just three hits.

New Jersey

Toms River, the favorite coming into the Final Four, toughed out a big 4-2 victory in the winners bracket final against Ocean City/Upper Township. Phil Antoniotti tossed a complete game, giving up a two-run homer in the first, before dominating the OCUT lineup. OCUT had a dominant mound performance of their own though from Gannon Brady who struck out 12 in 5 1/3 innings of shutout baseball. He was perfect through four innings. After Brady reached the pitch count, Toms River went to work. Alex Civitello hit a single and Jon Giordano hit a 300-foot blast to tie the game. Nick DeRose hit a two-run homer two batters later for the winning runs.

Maine

Falmouth rallied in the "if" game to knock off the defending 11-year old AND 12-year old state champions, Saco/Maremont. Nate Rogers bashed two home runs, his first two ever, in the victory. Brady Douglas and Alex Smith each had a pair of hits, and Mike Simonds drove in two runs.


There will be another update tonight with more scores and recaps from Friday and Saturday action. So check back later!

Little League Insider Roundup (7/24/14)

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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