Summerlin South looks for redemption in LLWS U.S. championship game

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — What does it take to win a Little League World Series championship?

Summerlin South coach TJ Fechser isn’t sure, but he knows he has a team capable of getting the job done. Of the 2.5 million players across the United States and the rest of the world, Fechser has 12 of the final 48 standing on his roster.

As his Mountain Region squad takes the field to face Metro champion Fairfield, Connecticut, at 12:30 p.m. Saturday in the U.S. championship game, Fechser will have one major factor on his side, and one leaning against him.

Advantage: Garrett Gallegos.

Gallegos might be the best player in the LLWS. As the ace on the pitching staff, he has dominated opponents with his powerful right arm throughout the postseason. Summerlin South has won both LLWS games he’s started — a 16-1 victory over Great Lakes champion Clarendon Hills, Illinois, and a 1-0, seven-inning win over Southeast Region champ Irmo, South Carolina.

Most important, Gallegos will be available to pitch Saturday in the ABC-televised game. Fechser does not announce starting pitchers in advance, but the odds are overwhelming that Gallegos will be standing on the hill to start the first inning.

He might even be there five innings later, too.

“Garrett’s eligible,” Fechser said. “We have to look at how he’s feeling. We go day to day on this stuff.”

But the coach also dropped a hint.

“Garrett’s been a warrior for us all season,” he said. “He’ll be up to the challenge if he’s out there.”

Gallegos is brimming with confidence, noting that he took the mound against South Carolina on Monday knowing he was going to win.

“When I was warming up, I just thought to myself that there’s no way I’m going to give up any runs today,” Gallegos said after striking out 12 in Summerlin South’s victory, a game that saw the team overcome a six-inning no-hitter by Irmo ace Joe Giulietti.

As the cleanup hitter, Gallegos, who plays third base when he isn’t pitching, is just as dangerous with his bat. He smashed a three-run homer in the top of the sixth inning that easily cleared the right-field wall to lift Summerlin South to a 5-3 win over South Carolina on Thursday in the losers bracket final.

The Nevada team is 14-1 in postseason play and 4-1 in the LLWS. Its pitching is deep and its lineup is dangerous 1-12, but Gallegos is the unquestioned star player.

Disadvantage: The unknown.

Summerlin South’s loss was against Connecticut, so the team is playing for redemption. Fairfield is 4-0 and has allowed only five runs, three of them to Las Vegas in its 7-3 victory Wednesday.

Still, Fechser admits he knows little about Connecticut.

Pitching, in particular, remains a question mark. Fairfield’s scores indicate a deep pitching staff, but Summerlin South saw only two pitchers that day.

The coach said all his players can do is assume the entire staff is strong while stepping up to the plate with confidence.

“Our mindset is to compete for hits at the plate,” he said. “And go for it.”

The winner will play for the LLWS championship against Taipei (Chinese Taipei) or Santa Cruz (Aruba) at noon Sunday on ABC. Taipei and Santa Cruz will play at 9:30 a.m. Saturday on ABC.

Contact Jeff Wollard at jwollard@reviewjournal.com.