Tallmadge loses Series opener, 2-1

The Ohio team almost pulled out a win with a sixth innig rally.
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) -- Michael Scuzzarella got a little nervous when he took the mound defending a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth of his Little League World Series opener. Turns out the Saugus, Mass., defense backed him up.
Craig Cole took a grounder near second base and turned a double play to end the game, giving Saugus (1-0) a 2-1 win Friday over Tallmadge in the opening game of the Little League World Series.
Also Friday, Tokyo faced Willemstad, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles in the series' first international game; Richland, Washington faced Boynton Beach, Florida in the nightcap.
Tallmadge (0-1) pulled within 2-1 with one out in the bottom of the sixth and had runners on first and second after Jake Jamieson's RBI single to center field.
"After they started getting hits, I started thinking about if I gave up two runs or three runs," Scuzzarella said. "They had guys on first and second."
Defense comes through
But the defense held strong. Cole fielded Paul Pakan's grounder for an easy out at second, and his throw just beat Pakan to first base to end the game. Scuzzarella (1-0) allowed only one hit in the first five innings before giving up three in the sixth.
And if "Scuz" was nervous about a Tallmadge rally, his teammates weren't.
"I knew they weren't going to score two runs because Scuz was pitching the game," Sebastiano "Yano" Petruzzelli said. "He was pitching a gem for us. It's true."
Saugus didn't take the lead until the top of the sixth, when Dario Pizzano advanced on David Ferriera's single, then scored when the ball was bobbled in the outfield. Tyler Grillo's RBI single scored Matthew Muldoon, making it 2-0.
With two outs and Pizzano on first, Jake Mays (0-1) intentionally walked the 6-foot, 182-pound Muldoon. After the game, Scuzzarella called the walk "trash," bringing a swift rebuke from manager Rob Rochenski.
"I think what Mikey meant to say was he wanted Matty to have a chance to put us ahead," Rochenski said.
But Tallmadge manager Randy Keen defended the decision as good strategy.
"I would do it again tomorrow, and probably will. If that big kid from Florida comes up, I'll do the same thing," Keen said. "I don't want one player to beat us, it's going to have to be a team."
Pizzano might have spared Massachusetts from falling behind in the fifth, making a running catch of Jake Patrick's deep fly ball at the warning track in right center field and holding Andrew Volcheck at first base. Volcheck would later advance to second, but was put out on a fielder's choice.
First loss of year
The loss was the first in the international tournament for Tallmadge, the only U.S. team to arrive at the series undefeated. But Keen said he thought his team would bounce back.
"I think they'll be fine," Keen said. "We're just happy to be here -- there's a million Little Leaguers out there who'd love to be in a 2-1 loss in (South) Williamsport, Pennsylvania"