Naamans’ Little League World Series dream was dashed Friday afternoon by a Pennsylvania team that had the added motivation of revenge.
Hollidaysburg will have just a two-hour drive northeast to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, after topping Naamans 7-3 in the Mid-Atlantic Regional title game in Bristol, Connecticut.
Delaware champ Naamans had nipped Pennsylvania champ Hollidaysburg 5-4 Tuesday in the semifinals. Hollidaysburg trounced Northwest Little League of Washington, D.C., on Thursday 13-0 to earn another shot at Naamans.
The recently expanded Little League World Series will have 10 U.S. and 10 international teams when it starts Aug. 17. The Mid-Atlantic champ has a first-round bye and begins play Thursday at 7 p.m. at Lamade Stadium on ESPN2 against the Southwest champ Pearland, Texas.
Down 6-1 in the fourth inning, Naamans pulled within 6-3. Quinn Mulvena, who’d been hit by a pitch, went to third on Will McClafferty’s single and scored on Zach Derbyshire’s fielder’s choice groundout. Peter Hudson’s double then scored Derbyshire to make it 6-3.
FESTIVE SEND-OFF: Naamans team gets pep rally before heading to Regionals
Ty McGough then retired seven of the last eight Naamans batters he faced, giving up just a two-out walk in the sixth inning before catching a line drive to end the game and set off his team’s celebration. Naamans had just five hits in the game.
Naamans was trying to become the third Delaware team to reach the Little League World Series. Naamans was actually the first in 2003. Newark National became the second in 2013.
Naamans won a pair of one-run games to reach the finals, nipping Maryland champ Conococheague 2-1 on Sunday in its opener as Hudson threw 5⅓ innings of no-hit ball and struck out 11 before reaching his pitch limit.
After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first Friday, Naamans tied it 1-1 in the bottom half of the inning when catcher Luke Luzader smacked a solo home run over the center-field fence.
But Hollidaysburg scored three runs with two outs in the second inning and then made it 4-1 in the third inning, taking advantage of some wildness by Naamans pitcher Hudson.
Naamans then had a great opportunity in its half of third, loading the bases on singles by Nic Ciritella and Hudson and a walk with no outs. But McGough, in relief of starting pitcher Braden Hatch, got two strikeouts and a groundout to escape the jam.
Hollidaysburg increased its lead to 6-1 in the fourth inning, when Hudson’s day on the mound ended after reaching his 85-pitch limit.
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