Wei Hung-chou pitched a one-hit shutout as Taiwan eliminated Uganda 5-0 at the Little League World Series on Monday.
Wei struck out 14 and walked none, including a stretch of eight consecutive strikeouts from the first through third innings. Wei finished at 80 pitches, struck out the side to end the game and got two of his team’s six hits while at the plate.
The only Uganda baserunners were Frances Alemo on a first-inning single and Joshua Olara on a fourth-inning hit batsman.
Photo: AP
Wei and Cheng Yu-yang scored twice each for Taiwan, who were to play Mexico yesterday in another elimination game.
Uganda finished 1-2 in the nation’s second tournament appearance. A team from Lugazi played in 2012, but did not win either of their first two games before being eliminated.
Eli Burwash scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth inning then earned the save pitching as Bowling Green, Kentucky, avoided elimination by beating Taylors, South Carolina, 4-3.
“I’ve closed out before, but this was the biggest one yet,” said Burwash, who said his previous home run was in regionals.
Ty Bryant earned the win, leaving after 84 pitches, and will be eligible for all of the weekend should Bowling Green progress that far. Burwash needed only 14 pitches for the save.
“Ty pitched outstanding and it was picture-perfect the way we laid it out,” Bowling Green manager Rick Kelley said. “We wanted Eli to close it out and have him for tomorrow and it worked out perfect.”
Should Burwash face Bonita in a save situation, the California players might well turn again to their rally monkey, a red, white and blue knit puppet with a stars and stripes pattern, something player Walker Lannom credited for the win on Monday after an early 2-0 deficit.
“It’s our rally monkey, it represents us,” Lannom said. “We’re a team, but we need something to represent us and that’s the rally monkey.”
Elsewhere, Mexico eliminated Australia 9-0, Portland, Oregon (1-2), won a consolation game 7-3 against the Dominican Republic.
The Oregon players might be done playing, but they are not leaving yet.
“These kids earned their way here. None of the teams here won the lottery to get here, so we want the kids to experience all of the World Series,” Portland manager Matt Farr said about his team staying through Sunday’s world title game. “It was really important to us that they stay and root on the other teams and friends they’ve made and see them battle for the championship.”
Little League was to induct former New York Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera into its Hall of Excellence last night. Also, former slugger Gary Sheffield was to make a promotional appearance. Sheffield played in the 1980 LLWS for Tampa, Florida, along with former major leaguer Derek Bell.
Jacob Baptista hit a go-ahead grand slam and Levi Mendez struck out 11 as Bonita, California, advanced defeating Cranston, Rhode Island, 10-3 in an elimination game.
Bonita reached the US Final 4 and were to play Bowling Green yesterday in another elimination game.
Bonita overcame a two-run deficit in the third inning. Baptista capped the six-run rally when he drilled a first-pitch fastball out to center for a 6-2 lead.
Mendez went three-for-three and shut down Cranston over the final five innings.
Cranston scored two first-inning runs on a Caleb Harris lead-off home run and Cam Ademac RBI single, but Mendez allowed only one more hit and struck out the side in both the fourth and sixth.
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