Sunday, August 17, 2003
Bernard hit by pitch to score winning run
Associated Press
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Cory Bernard of Chandler, Ariz.,
tied a Little League World Series record with three home runs
Tuesday night and then drove in the winning run in extra innings
when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Bernard last home run, a two-run shot, tied the game in the
bottom of the sixth and he kept Chandler unbeaten as it heads for
the U.S. semifinals by being hit with a pitch in the seventh to
send home the winning run in the 8-7 victory over Eldridge, Iowa.
Bernard, who had six RBI, is the fifth player to hit three home
runs in a game at the series. The last to do it was Nikko
Echevarria of Saudi Arabia in 2001.
"I've never hit three home runs in a game ever,'' Bernard said.
"I hit two once a few years ago, but it was a lucky thing.''
Also Tuesday, Richmond, Texas, beat Wilmington, Del., 7-1 to
secure the last spot in the U.S. semifinals. Richmond will play
unbeaten Saugus, Mass., on Thursday. On Wednesday, Chandler will
play Boynton Beach, Fla.
The international semifinals will have Venezuela against
Netherlands Antilles on Wednesday and Japan against Mexico on
Thursday.
In other games Tuesday it was: Venezuela 6, Mexico 2; Japan 17,
Saudi Arabia 0 in a game shortened to four innings; and Netherlands
Antilles 2, Canada 1.
Elliott Schlabach had a leadoff homer for Eldridge (1-2), which
batted around in the first inning and took a 5-0 lead.
Chandler (3-0) closed within 5-2 in the bottom of the inning on
Bernard's two-run homer. Justin Rosales hit a two-run homer in the
second and Bernard tied the game 5-5 with a solo shot.
Schlabach scored on a wild pitch and Matt Petersen's double gave
Eldridge a 7-5 lead in the fourth.
Texas 7, Delaware 1
Richmond batted around in a seven-run fourth inning. Richmond
had seven hits _ including an RBI double by Wayne Willis and RBI
singles from Jimmy Michalek and Cody Robinson in the inning.
Japan 17, Saudi Arabia 0, 4 innings
Shigeki Umeda, Masato Komuro, Ippei Endoh and Yuutaro Tanaka
combined for a perfect game, each pitching one inning. Komuro (1-0)
was the winner.
It was the first time more than one pitcher combined for a
perfect game at the series and the first perfect game at the series
since Kiyoshi Tsumura pitched one for Chofu, Japan, in 1976. Danny
Almonte of Rolando Paulino Little League in the Bronx, N.Y.,
pitched a perfect game against Apopka, Fla., in 2001, but that game
was erased from the record books when Little League learned Almonte
was too old to play.
Japan (3-0) scored seven runs in the first inning.
The game was shortened because of a rule halting games in which
a team is winning by at least 10 runs after four innings.
Venezuela 6, Mexico 2
Juan Rivera, Angel Reverol and Wilfredo Sanchez homered for
Venezuela. Alejandro Manjarrez homered for Mexico, his third of the
series.
Netherlands Antilles 2, Canada 1
Kevin Moesquit hit a two-run double in the third.
