LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES : Long Beach Bounces Back to Defeat Richmond

For six innings at the Little League World Series Tuesday, Richmond, Va., slugged it out with the Long Beach All-Stars as if the game were a boxing match. Richmond even had the defending world champions on the ropes--the potential winning run at the plate with one out in the sixth inning and the score tied.

But relief pitcher Brady Werner got off the canvas and struck out two of the last three batters he faced in the inning. Long Beach then scored four runs in the top of the seventh on the way to a 12-8 extra-inning victory on the second day of the tournament.

Long Beach, which plays today at 8 a.m., is assured of making the championship game of the United States Division Thursday because Bedford, N.H., eliminated Hamilton, Ohio, on Tuesday, 1-0.

The two teams with the best overall records in the four-team U.S. bracket play Thursday in the American final, the winner then playing the winner of the international bracket in the final Saturday. Both Long Beach and Bedford are 2-0. The other American teams are 0-2.

The outcome of today’s game between Bedford and Long Beach will not change the standings. In effect, they will be playing a practice game for their U.S. title game Thursday.

On Tuesday, Long Beach (21-1) and Richmond (15-3) combined for 23 hits, including six home runs, two each by Werner and Kevin Miller. Sean Burroughs hit a solo home run to open the third.

Long Beach pitcher Alex DeFazio gave up nine hits and seven runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Even so, Long Beach led in the bottom of the sixth, 8-5, when Richmond’s No. 7 batter, Douglas McCray, blooped a single to right field. Justin Stecz struck out before William Lane lined a single.

Long Beach Coach Jeff Burroughs removed DeFazio and handed the ball to Werner, who got ahead in the count against left-fielder David Henshaw, 1-2. But Henshaw hit the next pitch over thefence in right-center field, tying the score. In the top of the seventh, Miller hit an 0-1 pitch over the fence to start the rally.

Werner got the victory, retiring three of the last four batters he faced.

“Give the South credit,” Long Beach Manager Larry Lewis said. “They were a scrappy team. Just when we thought we could rest they came roaring back.”