Huge crowd sees Pa. kids fall

Associated Press

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.

Kentucky starter Griffin McLarty silenced Pennsylvania’s hitters and their huge cheering section at the Little League World Series with a little help from his defense.

The lanky, 6-foot pitcher from LaGrange, Ky., struck out 12 and hit a homer in a 1-0 win Friday night over the hometown favorites from Clinton County, just 30 miles down the road from South Williamsport.

Central Pennsylvania’s favorite sons drew such a huge crowd that fans sat shoulder-to-shoulder on the grassy, terraced hill above the outfield fences.

But it was the Kentucky contingent that was celebrating loudest by the end of the tense night. The 13-year-old McLarty calmly walked off the mount after getting a strikeout to end the game.

Pennsylvania also had the potential tying run thrown out twice at the plate.

Huntington Beach, Calif., 11, Cumberland, R.I., 0

Three pitchers combined on a three-hitter and Huntington Beach used a six-run fifth inning to pull away.

Trevor Windisch drove in three runs, including a two with a single in the fifth, and leadoff hitter Hagen Danner went 2 for 4 and scored twice to support starter Braydon Salzman and two relievers. California pitchers combined for eight strikeouts.

The Little League aces looked intimidating with the straight brims of their bright yellow hats pulled low over their heads.

Rhode Island’s best scoring opportunity came in the first when Jacob Glod doubled with one out and moved to third on a wild pitch. But Salzman got a strikeout and groundout to end the threat.

Langley, British Columbia 6, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia 5

Colby Ring scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth inning to give Langley the victory.

With the game tied in the bottom of the sixth, Ring walked and moved to third when Ian Burns doubled. A curveball skipped away from the catcher, and Ring scampered home for the winning run.

Cole Cantelon had three hits and knocked in three runs for Canada and pitched the final 12/3 innings for the win in a game delayed nearly 90 minutes by rain.

Tanner Beachy had an RBI double for Saudi Arabia.

Venezuela 6, NETHERLANDS 1

Omar Conoropo Jr. knocked in three runs and Keny Marquez struck out 10 as Maracay defeated Rotterdam.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning, when Yonny Hernandez doubled home two runs. Neil Prieto added an RBI single and Conoropo hit an RBI groundout to give the Latin America region champions a 4-0 lead.

Conoropo added a two-run homer in the fifth inning.

Marquez worked 42/3 innings for the win. Wilson Alvarez struck out the final four batters for the save.

Aaron de Groot walked and later scored the Netherlands’ only run.