Summerlin South punches ticket to Little League World Series — PHOTOS

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Garrett Gallegos didn’t need to be perfect on the mound Friday, but that didn’t keep him from trying.

The tall, intimidating right-hander knew what was at stake, and he struck out nine while allowing three hits over four innings to lead Summerlin South past Utah 6-3 in the championship game of the Little League Mountain Region tournament.

The win propelled the Nevada team into next week’s Little League World Series, to be played Aug. 13-24 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

“This has been a very long journey,” Summerlin South coach TJ Fechser said. “And now that they’re 12, the players have come to the reality that this is their last Little League season. This is the year for their dream.”

Gallegos said he took the mound knowing exactly what he needed to do.

“There was tons of excitement coming into this game,” the starter said. “I knew it was on me to shut that team down. I told myself there was no way I was going to give up runs. I was just going to pump some strikeouts and get them out.”

Fechser added that his ace has an edge many pitchers lack.

“There are throwers and there are pitchers, and Garrett is a pitcher,” Fechser said. “He understands how to get in hitters’ minds. He comes to compete.”

Both teams loaded the bases in the first inning, but neither capitalized.

“I knew at that point that we had a baseball game,” Fechser said. “I knew these guys had come to play.”

His team had rallied from an early 8-0 deficit to beat Lone Peak, out of Alpine, Utah, 22-12 in the second round Tuesday, but Fechser knew a title-clinching win might require a little more than a few home runs this time.

Unable to put up long balls against Utah starter Chase Walker, Summerlin South played steady, methodical ball to piece together a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Dustin Greusel legged out an infield single to open the inning, and Brooks Fechser and Cache Malan capped it with RBI hits.

Ethan Robertson also provided timely hitting throughout, going 3-for-3 with two doubles.

“I just wanted to have clean at-bats and get on base to help my team in those situations,” Robertson said of his consistency. “That’s what we’ve practiced.”

Nevada added three runs in the fourth inning, making the most of singles by Cutter Ricafort and Jayden Lee, and a key RBI double by Banks Mossley that made the score 6-0 and chased Walker.

Gallegos, who had nearly maxed out on pitches at 80 after four innings, was replaced by Luke D’Ambrosio. After a smooth fifth, D’Ambrosio got into a no-out jam in the sixth and final inning that resulted in a three-run homer by Utah’s Benson Gunn. But Robertson took over pitching duties from there and quickly retired the side to give Nevada the victory.

Fechser said he doesn’t know much about the other nine U.S. teams going to the LLWS, but he does know Nevada will be opening against Clarendon Hills, Illinois, the Great Lakes Region champion, at noon Wednesday.

Summerlin South, which went 3-0 and outscored opponents 45-15 in the regional tourney, will be the fourth overall and third consecutive Nevada team to make the Series. A championship by Summerlin South would be Nevada’s first.

Contact Jeff Wollard at jwollard@reviewjournal.com.