Summerlin South wins LLWS pitchers’ duel in extra innings
It was a game neither team deserved to lose.
Pitchers’ duels are rare in the Little League World Series, but Summerlin South came out on the winning side of one Monday with a seven-inning 1-0 victory over Southeast representative Irmo, South Carolina, at Lamade Stadium in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Summerlin South’s Jayden Lee broke up a no-hitter with a single in the seventh, and teammate Cutter Ricafort won it with a two-out single that was misplayed in right field, allowing Griffin Vargas to score from second base.
“Baseball is a weird game,” said Summerlin South coach TJ Fechser, whose squad had been winning most of its postseason games with big bats. “At the end of the day, what matters most is runs scored.”
Representing the Mountain Region, Summerlin South (3-0) will meet the only other undefeated team in the U.S. bracket — Fairfield, Connecticut (3-0), the Metro Region titlist — at noon Wednesday, with the winner advancing to the U.S. championship game Saturday.
Summerlin South got a masterful pitching performance Monday from ace Garrett Gallegos, who scattered five hits while striking out 12 in 5⅓ innings.
“Garrett competed against a great, great team,” said Fechser, who noted that Gallegos and catcher Dustin Greusel worked the outside of the plate because their opponents were crowding. “It was a true pitchers’ duel, and I’m proud of how he competed.”
Gallegos said he felt good from the start.
“I started the day feeling like I was going to have a great game because my arm was feeling really amazing,” the right-hander said. “When I was warming up, I just thought to myself that there’s no way I’m going to give up any runs today.”
South Carolina starter Joe Giulietti was just as good, throwing a six-inning no-hitter before hitting the 85-pitch count maximum and being pulled at the end of regulation.
“Joe may be the best baseball player I’ve ever faced,” Fechser said. “It was a heated game with two very strong arms.”
Neither starter encountered a serious threat over the first six innings, though Summerlin South reliever Luke D’Ambrosio stranded a runner on third with a strikeout to end the top of the seventh.
That set the table for the Nevada team in the bottom of the inning.
“That was one of my first walk-offs that was clutch,” Ricafort said of his game-winning single.
His heroics provided the Nevada squad with a big break, as the team’s top two pitchers would have been ineligible to pitch in a losers’ bracket game Tuesday due to their required rest periods. Instead, Summerlin South remains in the winners’ bracket.
“Thank goodness I don’t live in hypotheticals,” Fechser said. “But it was big to stay out of the losers’ bracket and get that extra day off. Having tomorrow off is a big deal, and it will help us recharge our batteries.”
Standout right-hander Ethan Robertson will be available to pitch Wednesday against Fairfield.
Summerlin South remains undefeated in the postseason at 13-0.
South Carolina (1-1) fell into the losers’ bracket with the loss.
The United States and international championship games will be played Saturday. The winners will meet for the LLWS title Sunday.
Contact Jeff Wollard at jwollard@reviewjournal.com.