LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES : Shelley Pitches Long Beach to Victory

Randall Shelley struck out nine, scattered four hits and did not walk a batter Wednesday as Long Beach defeated Lake Charles, La., 16-1, in the Little League World Series.

It was the 20th consecutive victory for Long Beach, which plays Hamilton Square, N.J., in the United States championship game today. Long Beach defeated Hamilton Square, 6-4, Tuesday.

In the international championship, undefeated Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, plays Mindanao, Philippines. Santo Domingo defeated Mindanao, 8-1, Wednesday.

The winners play for the World Series title Saturday.

Shelley, who usually plays center field, was filling in for the team’s No. 2 pitcher, Dane Mayfield, who injured his right elbow Aug. 12 at the Western Regional. Shelley had faced only six batters since June.

But the right-hander, using the curveball he developed with his father, struck out the side in the first two innings and did not allow a batter past second base in the final three.

Lake Charles’ only run came in the third inning when Neil Simoneaux tripled, then scored when Long Beach third baseman Ryan Beaver misplayed a ground ball hit by Russell Bond.

“It seemed kind of easy,” Shelley said. “Usually teams will hit that ball more, but this team didn’t.”

Long Beach, which has struggled a bit offensively in its first two series games, broke out of its mini-slump by hitting six home runs and roughing up three Lake Charles pitchers for 14 hits.

Long Beach got all the runs it needed in the first inning. Sean Burroughs opened with a walk off Ryan Zembower, and then Beaver hit his second home run of the series.

Mayfield, getting his first start in right field since the injury, hit a home run over the right-field fence, his third consecutive hit of the series.

Ryan Stuart struck out, but left fielder Kevin Sullivan hit Zembower’s 2-and-2 pitch just beyond the left-field wall.

Long Beach scored in every inning but the third.