Oceanside Reaches U.S. Semifinal
With nobody out and runners on first and second, David Carroll knew a hit would put his team in position to break the last-inning tie.
He got that and more.
Carroll knocked an outside curveball over the center-field fence for a three-run home run that gave Oceanside a 5-2 victory over South Lake Charles, La., on Sunday in United States division pool play at the Little League World Series.
“I was just trying to put the ball in play,” Carroll said. “It was low, but I guess I hit it hard enough.”
The victory guarantees Oceanside a spot in the semifinals Wednesday or Thursday. Oceanside and Brownsburg, Ind., bring 2-0 records in Pool A into their game tonight.
Despite missing scoring opportunities in the fourth and fifth innings, Oceanside rallied from a 2-1 deficit. Thomas Eukovich’s run-scoring single to center field scored Mike Noble and tied the score, 2-2, in the fifth.
One South Lake Charles batter reached base on an error in the sixth, but Oceanside reliever Taylor DeMille struck out the next three batters.
Ty Todd hit a two-run homer in the second inning to give South Lake Charles a 2-1 lead. Todd’s shot bounced off the top of the center-field wall and over, bringing home Dylan Guillot, who walked.
DeMille’s run-scoring double in the bottom of the first drove in Eukovich, giving Oceanside a 1-0 lead, but Josh Harris was tagged out at the plate on the same play to end the inning.
The loss dropped South Lake Charles to 0-2 in pool play, eliminating it from playoff contention.
Apopka, Fla., defeated Bainbridge Island, Wash., 2-0, behind Justin Lafavers’ 11 strikeouts.
Lafavers came within one strike of a no-hitter.
Apopka, the victim of a perfect game Saturday, had five hits.
In the International division, Erick Rafael had three hits, including a home run, to lead Curacao, Netherland Antilles, over Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 10-3.
Sunday night’s games between Davenport, Iowa, and the Bronx, N.Y., and Mexico and Russia were postponed by rain. The Davenport-Bronx game was rescheduled for this morning.
The Mexico-Russia game was rescheduled for Tuesday.