LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL: HYR falls in second World Series game
Aug. 4—LIVERMORE, Calif. — The Highlander Youth Recreation Intermediate 50/70 All-Star team suffered its first loss of the World Series on Wednesday night.
Danville (Calif.) scored in four consecutive innings en route to an 8-2 triumph over HYR in a winners' bracket game at Max Baer Park.
HYR will face Central East Maui (Hawaii) at 9 p.m. EDT Thursday night in an elimination game. The winner of that contest would face Danville at 8 p.m. Saturday night in the United States final.
Wednesday night, Jacob Quinto was a one-man wrecking crew for Danville. He picked up the win on the mound and also hit a three-run home run in the third inning to give the California District 57 champion a lead it wouldn't lose.
The game was scoreless until the top of the third inning.
HYR starter Preston Didat walked Brent Del Barrio on a 3-2 pitch to start the frame. Del Barrio moved to second on Gavin McMillan's groundout, then took third on Dario Boban's infield single. That brought up Quinto, who hit the first pitch from Didat over the center-field fence for a three-run shot.
Danville added two more runs in the fourth.
After Didat walked Andrew Chang, the first batter of the inning, he was replaced by Grant Curry. The breaking-ball specialist retired back-to-back batters while Chang took second on a wild pitch.
Caden Boscia then singled to left field to score Chang. Boscia, who took second on the throw home, scored a short time later on Boban's single to center.
Danville tacked on two more runs in the top of the fifth on a two-out error by HYR, which had three miscues in the game.
HYR got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the inning, though.
With two outs, Jaxon Stone singled, then stole second before scoring on Didat's single to center field.
Danville added another run in the sixth before HYR scored once in the seventh to account for the final score.
In the final frame, Stone led off with a double to center field. He stole third, then scored on a two-out error by Danville.
Stone, Nolan Kennedy and Jakob Reed each had two hits apiece to lead the way at the plate for HYR, which outhit Danville 7-6.
HYR's six pitchers (Didat, Curry, Blake Wisman, Emerson Brown, Kennedy and Peyton Cawthon) allowed eight runs (five earned) on six hits while walking six and striking out six. Wisman, Brown, Kennedy and Cawthon combined to hold Danville hitless over the final 3 1/3 innings.
Next up for HYR is Hawaii, the West Region champion that has played four games (compared to HYR's two) in the tourney so far and has outscored its foes 32-24.
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INTERMEDIATE 50/70 WORLD SERIES
Wednesday night's winners' bracket game at Livermore, Calif.
DANVILLE (CALIF.) 8, HYR 2
Danville 003 221 0 — 8 6 1
HYR 000 010 1 — 2 7 3
W — Jacob Quinto. L — Preston Didat. 2B — Preston Pera (D), Jaxon Stone (SC). HR — Quinto (D).
