New York opens LLWS with 10-2 victory

ASSOCIATED PRESS

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Nick Pucciarelli knocked in four runs with a homer and a two-run triple, Angelo Navetta struck out nine in five-plus innings, and Staten Island, N.Y., beat Mercer Island, Wash., 10-2 on Friday in the opening game of the Little League World Series.

James Morisano broke a scoreless tie in the third with a run-scoring single before Pucciarelli followed with a homer to right field for a 3-0 lead.

New York (1-0) added four more runs in the fourth, keyed by Pucciarelli’s triple.

Navetta took a shutout into the sixth before Washington (0-1) scored twice, including an RBI double by Michael Bantle. Navetta left with one out when he reached his 85-pitch limit.

Georgia 11, Iowa 3

Justin Jones homered twice to key a 13-hit attack for Georgia.

The Southeast champions from Warner Robins, Ga., also got homers from Trey Maddox and Spencer Sato as they overcame an early 2-1 deficit with three runs in the third.

Jones tied the game with a solo shot, Harley Hunt added an RBI single, and another run scored on an error. Georgia put the game out of reach with a six-run sixth.

Texas 10, Massachusetts 1

Steve Cardone smacked a three-run double and Jacob Ramos hit a three-run homer to help San Antonio beat Peabody, Mass.

With two outs in the third, two runners reached base on a single and error for Texas (1-0). Ramos then beat out an infield hit to load the bases for Cardone, whose long fly fell just short of the outstretched glove of Sean McGrath at the warning track to make it 3-0.

Ramos’ deep shot down the right-field line extended the lead to 10-1 in a six-run fourth, and Trevor Daves tossed a complete-game three-hitter for the win.

Taiwan 16, Germany 0

Yu Chieh Kao and Wen Hua Sung each hit three-run homers, four pitchers combined for a no-hitter, and Taoyuan, Taiwan beat Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany.

Chin Ou added three hits and three RBIs for Taiwan (1-0) in a game shortened to four innings because of the mercy rule.

Germany (0-1) didn’t help itself on the field, committing six errors. Manager Ed Prince said his team was nervous, and hadn’t faced such quality hitting in winning the Europe region.