Local Kids Going For The Title

A local team is playing in the little league world series and taking a shot at winning it all.

Hamilton is very much alive
BY JOHN ERARDI
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Catcher Brandon Green did his best Pudge Rodriguez imitation Saturday night, hitting a two-run homer and picking off a baserunner to lead Hamilton to a 10-2 victory over Warner Robins, Ga., in the Little League World Series.

"Soon as I hit (the ball), I knew I hit it good," said Green, who is easily recognized by his thick-rimmed black glasses. "I saw it go to the fence, and I felt great. ... (But) I didn't think it was out until it went over the fence."

It was an opposite-field shot by the 5-foot-2, 100-pound catcher. Green had three hits and drove in three runs, and Kyle Cotcamp had two hits and two RBI.

"I was hitting bombs in practice (Friday)," said Cotcamp, grinning.

A lot of people wondered whether Hamilton would bounce back from Friday's wrenching opening-game defeat, when Walpole, Mass., center fielder Michael Rando robbed Hamilton's John Cornett of what would have been a game-winning home run.

"We kind of challenged them all day (Friday), made fun of 'em (for not hitting)," said Hamilton coach Tim Nichting. "We're not going to quit. To me, that's just part of being Hamilton."

Hamilton and Warner Robins are both 1-1. If Hamilton can win in its final game of pool play at 3 p.m. Monday against Lake Oswego, Ore., it could advance to single-elimination play.

Hamilton pitcher Tyler Richards threw a four-hitter, striking out nine. How big was Green's pickoff of a Warner Robins runner?

"It allowed Tyler to finish," Nichting said.

Said Green of the play: "He (the runner) was 10 feet off the bag, so I threw it."

The West Siders showed mettle, beating Warner Robins (14-0 in All-Star play coming into Saturday) before 19,400 fans who filled the grandstand and most of the outfield hill at Lamade Stadium.

Hamilton won this game because it's all about the quality of a team's No. 2 pitcher. Many teams drop off significantly from 1 to 2, but not Hamilton.

Warner Robins' Kendall Scott pitched three innings, giving up eight hits and six earned runs.

"He throws meatballs," West Sider Anthony Cline said Saturday morning after batting practice.

Hamilton hit as if it were hungry and ran the bases hard.

"They out-coached us, out-played us, out-hustled us, out-everythinged us," said Warner Robins manager Mickey Lay.

Richards doesn't have the command and breaking ball of No. 1 starter Cotcamp, but he throws harder - pushing 70 mph. compared to Cotcamp's 66-68. From 45 feet, that makes their fastballs the equivalent of an average big-league fastball.

"We've got two aces," Nichting said.

Green's homer broke up a tie at 2 in the top of the third; he picked off a runner in the bottom half. Hamilton scored first, but Georgia's Micah Wells tattooed a Richards pitch into the shrubs just beyond the left-field wall for a 2-1 lead after one inning.

"I got right back (in the groove) striking out that next guy on three pitches," Richards said.

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LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES

GOOD LUCK TO THEM AS THEY CHASE THE DREAM OF WINNING IT ALL! [img]cool.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]