Pitcher Ties Record With 18 Strikeouts

Kalen is most definitely spelled with a “K.”

Kalen Pimentel tied a Little League World Series record for a regulation, six-inning game with 18 strikeouts to lead Rancho Buena Vista of Vista, Calif., to a 7-2 victory over Owensboro (Ky.) Southern in the Little League World Series on Saturday.

“It took me a couple of innings to get adjusted and I started to get in a groove about the fourth inning,” Pimentel said. “My fastball and curve were really working well.”

The feat was last accomplished in 1979 by Chao-An Chen of the Pu-Tzu Town team from Taiwan.

Nathan Lewis had three hits including a home run for Rancho Buena Vista (1-0), the West region champion, and Luke Daugherty homered for Owensboro Southern (0-1), the Great Lakes winner.

Pimentel’s pitching highlighted the busiest day of the 10-day tournament -- six games.

In other games, Chiba City, Japan, shut out Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 3-0; defending world series champs Curacao downed Venezuela, 5-4, in eight innings; Canada blanked Mexico, 2-0; Maitland, Fla., beat Council Rock-Newtown of Newtown, Pa., 3-1; and Lafayette, La., rallied to overcome Westbrook, Maine, 3-2.

Connor Toups provided the big hit for Lafayette, singling to left past a drawn-in infield to score two runs.

“I went up there looking to get a hit. He threw me a fastball,” said Toups, who at 4 feet 10 and 78 pounds is one of the smallest boys on Lafayette (1-0), the Southwest champion.

“It felt good.”

Westbrook starter Ryan Murphy held Lafayette scoreless until the sixth when Murphy failed to retire a batter. On Toups’ winning hit, Jace Conrad raced around from second base and pumped his fist after sliding home.

Nick Finocchiaro and Michael Mowatt homered for Westbrook (0-1), the New England champion.

Both teams played great defense. In the first inning, with a runner on first, Lafayette second baseman Brenn Conrad turned a double play by grabbing a relay toss barehanded, stepping on second and then throwing to first for the second out.

“It was like if we don’t hit it over the fence they were going to make the play,” Westbrook Manager Richard Knight said.