Day three of the Little League World Series 2009 results in another day of thrilling games. Ten of the sixteen teams playing for the world championship hit the field on Sunday. As with day two, the games did not disappoint those in the stands or watching on ESPN.
In the first game of the day, the team from Urbandale, Iowa took on the team from Mercer Island, Washington. Both teams went into the game 0-1 as result of losing their first game of the 2009 Little League World Series. Washington took an early lead 3-0 behind pitcher Keegan Ogard who only allowed one hit during the first four innings.
Then in the fifth inning, Iowa’s Robert Vanderlinden went up to bat with runners on first and third bases. Vanderlinden doubled bringing in both runners and closing the score to 3-2. With Vanderlinden on second base, the next batter for Iowa was Jake Quirk. Quirk proceeded to hit a home run taking the lead for Iowa. Iowa would go on to win 5-3 over Washington.
Sunday’s second game was between Russellville, Kentucky and San Antonio, Texas. Neither team had scored when in the third inning; Texas went on a tear and scored twelve runs in one inning. Texas’s Nicolas Smisek was not sure if he would be able to play on Sunday after being sick on Friday. Smisek did play on Sunday; hitting a grand slam.
Smisek’s teammate, Steven Cardone also hit a three-run home run. Kentucky was not able to rally back and due to the 10-run rule, the game ended after four innings.
The team from Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei (also known as Taiwan) beat the team from Vancouver, British Columbia Canada 8-0 in the third game of the day. Chinese Taipei, who is unbeaten in the 2009 Little League World Series, was led by relief pitcher Hung Yuan Lin who allowed only one hit and struck out five hitters. Lin also produced while he was at bat with two hits and two RBIs.
Scoreless going into the third inning, Chinese Taipei’s Yuan Ting Tai made it on base due to a walk when Wen Hua Sung hit a home run. Chinese Taipei was up 2-0 and never looked back. Canada drops to 0-2 in the 2009 Little Leagues World Series play.
The fourth game was a close one for the first five innings between Chula Vista, California and Peabody, Massachusetts. Close game is not something the California team is accustomed to. The favorite to win this year’s title, California blew away their first opponent in the 2009 Little League World Series, Kentucky 15-0.
Massachusetts’ pitcher Matt Hosman was able to keep the California bats fairly quiet for the almost five innings he pitched by striking out ten batters. California was only able to score two runs in the first five innings.
Starting the sixth inning the score was 2-0 with California in the lead, but Massachusett easily in striking distance. The California hitters woke up in the sixth inning and ran off twelve runs to win the game 14-0.
California pitcher Luke Ramirez struck out eleven Massachuestt’s hitters. California was lead by Andy Rios who had two home runs, both in the sixth inning. Teammate Seth Godfrey had a home run during the game as well. These home runs give the team a total of 48 in their last eight games.
The final game of Sunday’s Little League World Series and day three was a true nail biter. Japan and Curacao both came into the game with a series record of 1-0. Japan jumped out to an early lead, but each lead was countered by the Curacao team. Both teams ran the scoreboard up with only the third inning being scoreless.
Going into the top of the sixth and final inning of regulation, the score was tied 10-10. Japan was at bat and Naoto Ogura was the lead off hitter. Ogura made it to first on a walk. The next hitter struck out, but Ogura advanced to second base when the catcher mishandled the strike out pitch.
On the first pitch to the next hitter, the catcher attempted to throw Ogura out at second. The ball went past second base and Ogura took off towards third. The throw to third was way over the third baseman and Ogura turned third and headed to home plate scoring the go ahead run.
Japan held an 11-10 lead when Curacao went up to bat in the bottom of the sixth. The first batter for Curacao doubled. The next hitter hit the ball to the third baseman threw the hitter out at first. The runner on second advanced then advanced to third base.
Richendly Bicentini then came up to the plate and hit the ball hard down the third baseline. The runner on third tied the game at 11 all. Bicentini hit landed him on second base. The next hitter advanced Bicentini to third and Curacao had runners on first and third.
Jayson Libert was next at bat. First pitch was a strike. Second pitch was a ball. Libert bunted the third pitch down towards first base. He was thrown out at first, but Bicentini was heading home for the winning run. The throw to home plate was late and Curacao won the thriller 12-11.
The last game on day three was a thriller, but it was also a sloppy game. Both teams made lots of errors. The two teams combined for 23 runs and 20 hits. They also combined for 7 walks, 5 stolen bases, 7 wild pitches and 4 hit batters. With the ending of this game between Japan and Curacao, it is hard to say what the final Little League World Series 2009 results will be.
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