Saturday, August 23, 2003
Two two-run homers help lift Florida
Associated Press
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- R.J. Neal backed up his boast,
and now his Florida team will play Japan for the Little League
World Series championship.
A day after he guaranteed a win, Neal hit a two-run homer to
lead Boynton Beach over Saugus, Mass., 9-2 Saturday night in the
U.S. title game.
It was Neal's first home run at the series -- and something he
knew he needed to deliver after his comments Friday.
``Today, I knew I had to step up my game and do something
because I was talking all that junk on camera,'' Neal said.
Devon Travis also hit a two-run homer as Boynton Beach (4-1)
avenged its only loss of the series. Saugus (4-1) beat the Florida
team 4-3 in pool play Monday night.
Earlier Saturday, Tokyo beat the Netherlands Antilles 14-6, making this the third straight year a Japanese team has reached the Little
League World Series championship game.
A Tokyo team won the series in 2001, beating Apopka, Fla., 2-1; last year, Louisville, Ky., beat Sendai, Japan, 1-0.
This year's world championship game will be Sunday night.
Michael Broad added a leadoff homer in the fifth for Boynton
Beach, and Richie DeJesus followed it up with a solo shot of his
own, making it 9-2.
Cody Emerson (2-0) struck out nine, allowing only four hits and
two walks in the win. Craig Cole (0-1) took the loss.
Saugus was forced to start Cole after using both Michael
Scuzzarella and Matthew Muldoon in its seven-inning U.S. semifinal
game. The team's other starter, Jason Kasabuski, had started in the
previous game against Boynton Beach.
``We had full faith in Craig,'' Saugus manager Rob Rochenski
said. ``Obviously this was not our night, and we did not hit that
well.''
Travis went 3-for-3, raising his average to .667 for the series.
He homered to left field in the fourth to make it 7-1.
``The (Saugus) kids were really nice after I'd get a hit -- they'd always say, 'Good hit,'" Travis said. ``They're really good, and I like it when they compliment you.''
Boynton Beach went ahead 3-1 in the third on an RBI single from
DeJesus, a fly ball that bounced off the wall in center field.
Facing an 0-1 count, Neal hit his first home run of the series over
the center-field wall, making it 5-1.
Saugus pulled within 2-1 in the third on Muldoon's
bases-loaded chopper to the plate. Emerson threw home to get
Scuzzarella, but first baseman Jordan Irene dropped the
throw from the catcher trying to retire Muldoon, allowing Dario
Pizzano to score an unearned run.
Boynton Beach took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on DeJesus'
two-run single, a short fly to left-center field that was bobbled
by center fielder Pizzano.
Japan 14, Netherlands Antilles 6
Eito Ono hit a three-run homer during an eight-run fourth inning
and Yuutaro Tanaka homered twice as Tokyo (5-0) beat a club from
Curacao (3-2) to win the international title.
"That was the first time we were concerned in a game," Tokyo
manager Masumi Ohmae said through a translator. His team had
outscored its previous opponents 35-2.
Hirofumi Yamazaki's RBI single broke a 5-all tie in the fourth,
and Ippei Endoh's bunt single scored another run. Ono's home run to
center field broke open the game, and the final run of the inning
scored on an infield error.
Tanaka hit a leadoff homer in the sixth for a 14-5 lead. Kevin
Moesquit hit an RBI double in the bottom half for Curacao.
"I thought we had to play the perfect game, and our pitchers
need to keep the ball low and get groundballs," Curacao manager
Michelangelo Celestina said. "They got them up high, so you saw a
lot of home runs and hits."
Tanaka's three-run homer in the first was one of the longest of
the series, flying some 275 feet. The outfield wall at the ballpark
is 205 feet.
Masato Komuro (2-0) relieved in the third and got the win.
Edelcumy Jansen (0-1) took the loss.
