Come what may, the Sweetwater Valley Little League 12U all-star team has left its mark in Williamsport, Pa., site of the hallowed Little League World Series. Facing elimination for the second consecutive day, the West Region champions responded to the challenge with what they do best: hit the ball and win games.
The Sweetwater Sluggers outhit and outscored Great Lakes Region champion Bowling Green Eastern Little League for the second time in the tournament on Tuesday to record an 11-3 victory and advance to Thursday’s loser’s bracket semifinal game.
After winning their opening 17 games in all-star tournament play, the California District 42 champions tasted defeat for the first time this season in Sunday’s winners bracket game against Southwest Region champion Pearland West Little League. The 8-4 loss administered by the Texas East champions was a bitter pill to swallow, especially with much of the damage being self-inflicted.
But the Southern California champions licked their wounds and somehow have become the better for it after sending home two consecutive opponents in the loser’s bracket.
Tuesday’s elimination win over the Kentucky champions guaranteed Sweetwater Valley no worse than a third-place finish in the U.S. division bracket at this year’s Little League World Series. A top three finish out of 7,000 teams in the age division is a pretty amazing accomplishment. Sweetwater Valley’s players would like to think they’re not finished.
The reigning California District 42 champions will play the loser of Wednesday’s winners bracket semifinal between Pearland West and Pennsylvania champion Red Land Little League on Thursday.
The winner of that game advances to Saturday’s U.S. division championship game. The loser finishes third in the bracket.
“We’re good with it,” explained Sweetwater Valley manger Ward Lannom, whose team improved to 19-1 in all-star tournament play. “I’m content where we’re at (in the losers bracket). We’ve got to play more games. We’ve seen more quality pitching, which translates to more quality at-bats. Whoever we play on Thursday will be coming off a loss and will not have their top pitcher available. It will be a chess game in terms of who they use.”
Red Land remains the tournament favorite, though the Texans would like to believe they have the star pitching to silence the Mid-Atlantic Region champions’ bats.
Kentucky could not silence Sweetwater Valley’s bats despite a valiant effort by Bowling Green Eastern starter Eli Burwash. Burwash exited the game with two outs in the sixth inning after reaching the maximum pitch limit. He struck out 10 SVLL hitters but allowed seven hits, including two home runs, and gave up seven runs (five earned).
He was the losing pitcher in the teams’ initial meeting on opening day when Sweetwater Valley recorded a runaway 14-2 win.
Burwash, who walked only one batter, may have deserved better in the rematch. Sweetwater Valley scored three runs in its half of the first inning while recording just two hits. A throwing error and wild pitch allowed two runs to score while Dante Schmid doubled in the final SVLL run.
Great Lakes did not help its cause by committing a total of four errors in the game.
Sweetwater Valley plated two more runs in the top of the second inning on a two-out infield single by Antonio Andrade and two-run home run by Levi Mendez.
Andrade would score four runs in the game after reaching base on three hits.
Nate Nankil, who closed out the final two-and-one-third innings for starter Schmid, scored three runs. Nankil entered the game in a tense situation with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Kentucky had already pushed across one run in the inning to trim the score to 5-1 and now the tying run came to the plate.
Facing Bowling Green Eastern’s Will Buser, Nankil uncorked a wild pitch to allow the Great Lakes Region champions to creep closer at 5-2. But Nankil persevered, striking out Buser on a 3-2 count to end the inning and, in the process, likely take the wind of the Kentucky team’s sails.
Sweetwater Valley responded in the next inning with two runs to create some distance between the teams. Antonio Andrade hit his team-leading 17th home run to lead off the top of the fifth inning to increase the Sweetwater Sluggers’ lead to 6-2. Nankil stroked a one-out double and Walker Lannom followed with a base hit. Nankil scored on an ensuing wild pitch to allow Sweetwater Valley to regain its five-run lead.
Burwash had settled down after the Kentuckians’ shaky start by striking out the side in both the third and fourth innings, sending heavy-hitting Sweetwater Valley down meekly on nine pitches in the fourth inning.
But the long wait between innings as Bowling Green Eastern mounted its most serious threat in the bottom of the fourth inning appeared to sap Burwash, and he was never quite the same after that.
Burwash left the game with two gone in the fifth inning after delivering 88 pitches. Great Lakes inserted two pitchers after Burwash departed and neither could match his brilliance on the mound.
Devin Obee walked Cameron Barbabosa and was promptly lifted for teammate Carson Myers. Andrade reached base for the fourth time in the game on an error and Mendez followed with a walk to load the bases.
One run scored on a fielding error on a ball hit by Nankil and Lannom doubled to score another run to up the score to 10-3 in Sweetwater Valley’s favor. A wild pitch plated Sweetwater Valley’s final run of the game.
Nankil allowed a home run to Carson Kelley in the bottom of the fifth inning and a double to Ty Bryant with two gone in the bottom of the sixth inning but struck out Buser to end the game.
Nankil allowed three hits and one run during his time on the mound. He closed out the win on 26 pitches.
Schmid, who struck out eight Great Lakes batters in the teams’ first encounter, appeared to be sailing along in Tuesday’s game after holding Bowling Green Eastern scoreless through the opening three innings. Schmid threw just 13 pitches in the first inning to induce three groundouts and, following a lead-off single by Obee, struck out the next three batters in the second inning.
Schmid retired the order in the third inning, having faced 10 batters while allowing one hit with three strikeouts.
However, the SVLL starter ran into trouble – and possibly out of gas – in the fourth inning. Kelley led off with a double. T.J. Jones lined out to second for the first out of the inning but Schmid walked Obee and then uncorked a wild pitch to place runners at the corners. Schmid struck out Maddox Burr for the second out of the inning but a base hit by Myers plated one run for Kentucky to break up Schmid’s shutout bid. After Schmid walked John Morrison to load the bases, in came Nankil.
Despite putting 11 runs on the scoreboard, the key moment of Tuesday’s game was likely Nankil putting out the fire in the bottom of the fourth inning.
“Nate threw 26 pitches and 21 of them were strikes,” the elder Lannom said. “Nate did very well. The goal was just to throw strikes.”
Schmid, who allowed three hits, two earned runs and struck out four batters, was interviewed on live television after the game and told the ESPN camera crew it felt “amazing” to get the win and advance to the U.S. division semifinals. “We have a lot of people to support us, it feels great,” he said to the live TV audience. “Our team got a lot of runs. It made me feel really relaxed.”
The two teams that face each other in Thursday’s semifinal game will likely not feel relaxed with so much at stake.
Sweetwater Valley, which generated eight hits on Tuesday, improved to 3-1 in LLWS play while Great Lakes, which collected six hits, ended its LLWS run at 2-2.
The Sweetwater Sluggers have now hit 84 home runs, including 12 in Williamsport. The 12 homers top all teams in this year’s LLWS so far.
“We have to hit,” he SVLL manager said in addressing the needs of his team for Thursday’s semifinal game. “We have to adjust to the curve balls. Sixty percent of the curve balls we were swinging at were balls. We have to be more selective. If we hit the fastball, we don’t have to worry about the curve ball.”
Six teams remain in contention for the 2015 LLWS championship: Texas East, Pennsylvania and Southern California in the U.S. division bracket and Japan, Venezuela and Mexico in the international division bracket.
Mexico eliminated Asia-Pacific Region champion Chinese Taipei, 11-1, in Tuesday’s losers bracket elimination game.
Japan and Venezuela face off in Wednesday’s winners bracket semifinal, with the winner earning a berth in Saturday’s international division championship game. The loser meets Mexico in Thursday’s losers bracket semifinal.
Raul Leon was the hitting star for Mexico Region champion Mexicali by going 3-for-3 with five RBI, including a three-run home run in the first inning. Mexico finished with three home runs in the win, including solo shots by Andres Villa and Ernesto Rios.
Update:
Sweetwater Valley will get a rematch agaisnt Texas on Thursday after Red Land shut out Pearland West, 3-0, in Wednesday’s winners bracket semifinal. The game ended with the Texans loading the bases with one out but failing to produce a run. Pennsylvanio pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts in the game, including the final 13 outs via strikeout. Adam Cramer pithced the first five innings for the Mid-Atlantic Region champions. He gave up three hits and struck out 13 Texas batters. Jarden Henline pitched the final inning for Pennsylvania. He allowed two hits and struck out three batters.
Henline finished the game 2-for-3 in the batters box with one RBI.
Pearland West pitchers gave up just five hits to Pennsylvania. Cole Wagner, the team’s poster boy, hit a home run in the third inning to give Red Land a 2-0 lead. Pennsylvania took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and tacked on its final run in the bottom of the fifth inning on a RBI from Jake Cubbler.
Cramer threw 87 pitches — 60 were strikes. Jarrett Tadlock took the loss for the Southwest Region champs.
Red Land will meet the Sweetwater Valley-Texas winner in Saturday’s U.S. division championship game.
Mexico will take on Venezuela in Thursday’s international division semifinal after Japan edged the Latin America Region champions, 5-4, in Wednesday’s winners bracket semifinals.
“The worst we can do is to be the No. 2 team in the U.S.,” Wagner noted in an official LLWS tweet. “That’s quite an accomplishment. But we’ll do our best to win.”
Sweetwater Valley Little League
Little League World Series Leaders
Player: Walker Lannom
Positions: Pitcher, catcher, second base
Bats/throws: Right/right
Hitting average: .643
On-base percentage: .643
Home runs: 2
RBI: 6
Runs scored: 6
Pitching: 2 strikeouts, 1 hit in 0.2 inning, 9.00 ERA
Player: Levi Mendez
Positions: Pitcher, shortstop
Bats/throws: Right/right
Hitting average: .462
On-base percentage: .500
Home runs: 2
RBI: 6
Runs scored: 4
Pitching: 13 strikeouts, 0 walks, 6 hi8ts in 7/1 innings, 1.64 ERA
Player: Dante Schmid
Positions: Pitcher, outfield
Bats/throws: Right/right
Hitting average: .444
On-base percentage: .444
Home runs: 3
RBI: 7
Runs scored: 3
Pitching: 12 strikeouts, 2 walks, 5 hits in 7 innings, 3.43 ERA
Player: Nate Nankil
Positions: Pitcher, third base
Bats/throws: Right/right
Hitting average: .429
On-base percentage: .429
Home runs: 1
RBI: 2
Runs scored: 8
Pitching: 4 strikeouts, 0 walks, 5 hits in 4.1 innings, 2.77 ERA
Player: Mark Cervantes
Positions: Outfield
Bats/throws: Right/right
Hitting average: . 400
On-base percentage: .500
Home runs: 0
RBI: 0
Runs scored: 1
Player: Antonio Andrade
Positions: Pitcher, outfield
Bats/throws: Right/right
Hitting average: .385
On-base percentage: .429
Home runs: 2
RBI: 2
Runs scored: 8
Pitching: 2 strikeouts, 0 walks, 5 hits in 2.2 innings, 9.00 ERA
Player: Nick Maldonado
Positions: Catcher, first base
Bats/throws: Right/right
Hitting average: .286
On-base percentage: .444
Home runs: 1
RBI: 4
Runs scored: 1
Player: Jacob Baptista
Positions: First base, outfield
Bats/throws: Right/right
Hitting average: .250
On-base percentage: .357
Home runs: 1
RBI: 4
Runs scored: 4
Player: Ariel Armas
Positions: Catcher, first base
Bats/throws: Right/right
Hitting average: .250
On-base percentage: .250
Home runs: 0
RBI: 0
Runs scored: 0
Little League World Series Game Changers
Player: Cole Wagner
Team: Red Land Little League
City/town: Lewisberry, Pa.
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Positions: Pitcher, first base
Bats/throws: Left/left
Hitting average: .625
On-base percentage: .727
Home runs: 3
RBI: 6
Runs scored: 5
Pitching: 10 strikeouts, 1 walk in 5 innings, 4.80 ERA
Player: Adam Cramer
Team: Red Land Little League
City/town: Lewisberry, Pa.
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Positions: Pitcher, outfield
Bats/throws: Left/left
Hitting average: .714
On-base percentage: .778
Home runs: 0
RBI: 3
Runs scored: 3
Pitching: 13 strikeouts, 2 walks, 3 hits in 5 innings, 0.00 ERA
Player: Jaden Henline
Team: Red Land Little League
City/town: Lewisberry, Pa.
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Positions: Pitcher, shortstop
Bats/throws: Right/right
Hitting average: .600
On-base percentage: .636
Home runs: 0
RBI: 3
Runs scored: 3
Pitching: 10 strikeouts, 3 walks in 4.1 innings, 5.54 ERA
Player: Ben Gottfried
Team: Pearland West Little League
City/town: Pearland, Texas
Region: Southwest
Positions: Pitcher, first base, outfield
Bats/throws: Right/right
Hitting average: .222
On-base percentage: .300
Home runs: 1
RBI: 2
Runs scored: 1
Pitching: 7 strikeouts, 0 walks, 3 hits in 4.2 innings, 0.00 ERA
Player: Eli Burwash
Team: Bowling Green Eastern Little League
City/town: Bowling Green, Ky.
Region: Great Lakes
Positions: Pitcher, shortstop
Bats/throws: Right/right
Hitting average: .400
On-base percentage: .455
Home runs: 1
RBI: 1
Runs scored: 4
Pitching: 15 strikeouts, 2 walks, 12 shits in 9 innings, 6.67 ERA
Field is set for 2015 Little League World Series
United States Championship Tournament
Great Lakes Region: Bowling Green Eastern Little League (Kentucky)
Mid-Atlantic Region: Red Land Little League (Pennsylvania)
Midwest Region: Webb City Little League (Missouri)
New England Region: Cranston Western Little League (Rhode Island)
Northwest Region: Wilshire-Riverside Little League (Oregon)
Southwest Region: Northwood Little League (South Carolina)
Southwest Region: Pearland West Little League (Texas East)
West Region: Sweetwater Valley Little League (Southern California)
International Championship Tournament
Asia-Pacific Region: Tung Yuan Little League (Chinese Taipei)
Australia Region: Cronulla Little League (Australia)
Canada Region: White Rock South Surrey (British Colombia)
Caribbean Region: Los Bravos de Pontezuela Little League (Dominican Republic)
Europe-Africa Region: AVRS Secondary School Little League (Uganda)
Japan Region: Tokyo Kitasuna Little League (Japan)
Latin America Region: Cardenales Little League (Venezuela)
Mexico Region: Seguro Social Little League (Mexicali)
Little League World Series Schedule
All times Eastern (3 hours earlier for Pacific time)
Friday, Aug. 21
Opening Round Games
International Bracket
Europe-Africa 4, Caribbean 1
Latin America 5, Australia, 2
Mexico 1, Canada 0
Japan 7, Asia-Pacific 5
United States Bracket
Southwest 1, Northwest 0
West 14, Great Lakes 2 (4 innings)
Southeast 7, New England 1
Mid-Atlantic 18, Midwest 0
Saturday, Aug. 22
Elimination Games
International Bracket
Australia 3, Caribbean 0 (Caribbean eliminanted)
Asia-Pacific 18, Canada 4 (Canada eliminated)
United States Bracket
Great Lakes 7, Northwest 5 (Northwest eliminated)
New England 8, Midwest 3 (Midwest eliminated)
Sunday, Aug. 23
Double Elimination Games
International Bracket
Latin America 7, Europe-Africa 0
Japan 3, Mexico 1
United States Bracket
Southwest 8, West 4
Mid-Atlantic 9, Southeast 8
Monday, Aug. 24
Elimination Games
Consolation game, Caribbean 7, Northwest 3
International division elimination game, Mexico 14, Australia 3
U.S. division elimination game, Great Lakes 4, Southeast 3
International division elimination game, Asia-Pacific 5, Europe-Africa 0
U.S. division elimination game, West 10, New England, 3
Tuesday, Aug. 25
Elimination Games
Consolation game, Midwest 18, Canada 6
International division elimination game, Mexico 11, Asia-Pacific 1
U.S. division elimination game, West 11, Great Lakes 3
Wednesday, Aug. 26
Double Elimination Games
International division game, Japan 5, Latin America 4
U.S. division game, Mid-Atlantic 3, Southwest 0
Thursday, Aug. 27
Elimination Games
International division elimination game, Mexico 11, JLatin America 0
U.S. division elimination game, Southwest 9, West 7 (8 innings)
Saturday, Aug. 29
Division Championship Games
International division championship game, Japan, 1, Mexico 0
U.S. division championship game, Pennsylvania 3, Texas 2
Sunday, Aug. 30
LLWS Placement Games
Third place game, Texas 6, Mexico 4
Championship game, Japan 18, Pennsylvania 11
Source: http://www.llbws.org/gameinfo/schedule.htm
Sweetwater Valley Little League 12U All-Stars
Tournament Game Log
California District 42 champions
Sweetwater Valley 28, Chula Vista American 0
Sweetwater Valley 19, Park View 1
Sweetwater Valley 18, Imperial Beach 0
Sweetwater Valley 14, Park View 0
California Section 7 champions
Sweetwater Valley 10, Lemon Grove 0
Sweetwater Valley 20, Rancho San Diego 5
Sweetwater Valley 18, Rancho San Diego 7
Southern California
South Division III champions
Sweetwater Valley 12, Orangecrest 5
Sweetwater Valley 6, Encinitas 2
Sweetwater Valley 7, Oceanview 4 (7 innings)
Southern California
Division III champions
Sweetwater Valley 9, Manhattan 6
Sweetwater Valley 18, Manhattan 5
Sweetwater Valley wins best-of-three series 2-0
Little League World Series
West Region champions
Sweetwater Valley 16, Hawaii 9
Sweetwater Valley 11, Nevada 2
Sweetwater Valley 11, Utah 1
Sweetwater Valley 12, Hawaii 10 (championship game)
Note: Sweetwater Valley advances to Little League World Series as West Region representative
Little League International
Western Regional Tournament
West Region teams
Arizona state champion: Chandler National North Little League
Hawaii state champion: Waipahu Waipio Little League
Nevada state champion: Henderson Paseo Verde Little League
Northern California state champion: San Jose Cambrian Park Little League
Southern California state champion: Sweetwater Valley Little League
Utah State champion: Santa Clara Snow Canyon Little League
Game Schedule
Sunday, Aug. 9
Arizona 3, Northern California 0
Southern California 16,Hawaii 9
Monday, Aug. 10
Utah 11, Arizona 1 (5 innings)
Southern California 11, Nevada 2
Tuesday, Aug. 11
West Region elimination game: Nevada 9, Northern California 3
West Region elimination game: Hawaii 12, Arizona 9 (7 innings)
Wednesday, Aug. 12
West Region elimination game: Hawaii, 14, Nevada 3
Thursday, Aug. 13
West region winners bracket final (semifinal), Southern California 11, Utah 1
Friday, Aug. 14
West Region elimination game (semifinal): Hawaii 15, Utah 0
Saturday, Aug. 15
West Region championship game: Southern California 12, Hawaii 10
Note: Southern California advances to Little League World Series
Sweetwater Valley 12U All-Stars
Team Roster
Players: Antonio Andrade, Isaac Artalejo, Ariel Armas, Jacob Baptista, Cameron Barbabosa, Mark Cervantes, Preston Fleming, Walker Lannom, Nicholas Maldonado, Levi Mendez, Nate Nankil, Braiz Ramirez, Dante Schmid
Manager: Ward Lannom
Coaches: Arturo Maldonado, Jaime Ramirez
Player Profiles
Isaac Artalejo
Bonita Vista Middle School
Age 13
Nickname: “Cachorro”
Antonio Andrade
Bonita Vista Middle School
Age 13
Nickname: “Double-A”
Nate Nankil
Bonita Vista Middle School
Age 12
Nickname: “Nankil the ball”
Cameron Barbabosa
Bonita Vista Middle School
Age 12
Nickname: “Shrimp”
Walker Lannom
Eastlake Middle School
Age 12
Nickname: “The Talker”
Dante Schmid
Eastlake Middle School
Age 13
Nickname: “Big D”
Levi Mendez
Eastlake Middle School
Age 12
Nickname: “Chip”
Nick Maldonado
Eastlake Middle School
Age 12
Nickname: “Penguin”
Preston Fleming
Eastlake Middle School
Age 12
Nickname: “P-Diddy”
Mark Cervantes
Calvary Christian Academy
Age 13
Nickname: “Mark, Mark, Mark”
Ari Armas
Sacred Heart Academy
Age 12
Nickname: “Bugatti”
Braiz Ramirez
Coronado Middle School
Age 12
Nickname:”Tree”
Jake Baptista
Home school
Age 12
Nickname “Eyebrows”
