Little League World Series : Seoul and Mexicali Teams Win to Gain Berths in the Semifinals

Armando Verdugo went 4 for 4 and knocked in four runs Tuesday as Mexicali, Mexico advanced to the semifinals of the Little League World Series with a 6-3 victory over Staten Island.

In the opening game of the 39th annual tournament, Seoul, South Korea, routed Maracaibo, Venezuela, 13-2, getting two home runs and five RBIs from Zin Young You.

Mexicali, representing the West region, will face the winner of today’s game between Morristown, Ky., and Minnetonka, Minn. Should Mexicali win Thursday’s semifinal, Saturday’s championship game would be the first with two foreign teams.

Seoul will take on the winner of today’s game between Binbrook, Ontario, representing Canada, and Saudi Arabia, representing the European region.

Mexicali bunched five singles in the second inning to take a 4-2 lead, added two insurance runs on Verdugo’s sixth-inning double and hung on behind hard-throwing right-hander Ricardo Ponce.

Oscar Perez and David Cardenas started the second inning with base hits and advanced on Leonardo Ramos’ sacrifice bunt. Perez came home on Omar Mendez’s single, but Cardenas was cut down at the plate.

After a walk to Santiago Villaescusa, Ernesto Carrasco singled home Mendez and sent Villaescusa to third, Carrasco taking second on the throw to the plate.

Verdugo then singled up the middle to complete the four-run inning. In the sixth, Ramos doubled, Mendez singled and Verdugo lined a double to left to score them both.