Posted on 08/25/2007 11:41:44 AM PDT by hispanarepublicana
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - The game will be played in the northern part of the country, but the Little League U.S. Championship will unofficially be decided in the south.
When the Southeast (Warner Robins, Ga.) meets the Southwest (Lubbock) today in the U.S. final, baseball purists might get a chance to see if good pitching beats good hitting.
The Lubbock Western All-Stars have talked about their pitching depth throughout the tournament. Garrett Williams, Zane Ancell, Taylor Bridges, Bryndan Arredondo and Tyler Thorne have each spent time on the mound during the World Series.
Little League World Series TODAY'S GAMES
International championship
Willemstad, Curacao vs. Tokyo Kitasuna, Japan, 11:30 a.m. (ABC)
U.S. championship
Lubbock Western vs. Warner Robins, Ga., 2:30 p.m. (ABC)
SUNDAY'S GAMES
Third Place
U.S. runner-up vs. International runner-up, 11 a.m. (ABC)
World Championship
International champion vs. U.S. champion, 2:30 p.m. (ABC)
Western allowed its first earned runs of the World Series on Thursday in an 8-2 victory over Lake Oswego, Ore. The team has a 0.67 earned run average in three games.
In a sport in which runs are scored with nearly every ping of the bat, Western's dominance on the mound hasn't been a fad in Williamsport.
Western pitchers have given up six runs only once, during its third game of the Southwest Region Tournament. The pitching staff has recorded 14 shutouts, including the championship game of the Southwest Regional and the first game of the World Series.
Western has allowed a combined three runs in four games in Williamsport.
After Warner Robins, Ga., defeated Chandler, Ariz., in the United States semifinals, Georgia manager Mickey Lay said his team likes to face the top teams.
"We're getting to the games that we like," Lay said. "We like the tough games when they push us because that's why we play the game. We want to be challenged, and I hope we challenge Texas."
Texas has boasted impressive pitching numbers, but Georgia has been hitting well, especially against Arizona.
Through four games, Warner Robins is hitting .360 with six home runs and 29 RBIs. The majority of the production has come from Dalton Carriker and Micah Wells.
Carriker is 7-for-10 with two homers and five RBIs, while Wells is 8-for-13 with two homers and eight RBIs.
Arizona manager Jeff Parrish refused to predict a winner in a game featuring two teams his team lost to.
"At this point, it appears to me that Georgia has some pretty hot bats, no matter what you throw up there, no matter how hard you throw the ball," Parrish said. "Texas is a good team too, disciplined. ... I think it's going to be a tough game, probably a closer game."
Western will have its entire staff, except Williams, available. Western manager Ed Thorne said he wanted to watch more film on the Georgia team before deciding who he will start on the mound. Ancell or Bridges would appear to be the likely candidates.
Georgia likely will counter with either Carriker or Clint Wynn, both of whom pitched in Georgia's final pool-play game against Massachusetts that was suspended by rain.
Hub City PING
Lubbock/Texas Tech PING. (Bob Knight is in the stands cheering on our little league team!)
My 11 year old son’s Little League all star team from El Paso played the Lubbock Western 11 year old all star team in the regional playoff in Borger, Tx. in July. We lost 5-6 but it was a great game. That team went on to win the Texas state title.(that’s as far as the 11 year old teams go) It’s the 12 year old team that’s in the LLWS.
Is that 2:30 eastern?
2:30 central on ABC.
Thanks. I’m in the 100 miles of Texas that’s mountain.
Japan just won it with a grand slam home run!
read this about “our” boys if you haven’t already: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1885564/posts
I am glad to see this item posted. I hope these youngsters are given all the good publicity they have earned. We hear so much BAD news these days....hooray for GOOD news from these kids and the parents and helping adults who give their time.
Want more good news? Read this thread about them that I posted earlier this week: it is touching.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1885564/posts
Thanks for posting. I love Coach Knight.
Rough start :(
Yes; why they didn’t start Zane Ancell at pitching, I don’t know.
With the pitch count rule and the rest days required for pitchers, most teams will try to save their “ace” for the final game. Little League tournaments always come down to pitching. Using Ancell would burn him for tomorrow. He will be able to pitch one inning without penalty if they need him.
Correction, the one inning is the old rule. It’s 20 pitches without taking a day off.
here comes zane...
Go Lubbock!
Homerun! Woohoo!
This is the baseball that I remember and love.......
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