LLWS: S.C. ace throws second no-hitter in 8 days
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Taylors, South Carolina pitcher Alex Edmondson delivers during the first inning of a baseball game in United States pool play against Cranston, Rhode Island at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Friday, Aug. 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Alex Edmondson threw his second no-hitter in eight days and hit a two-run homer in the first inning to help Taylors, South Carolina, beat Cranston, Rhode Island, 7-1 on Friday in the state's first ever victory in the Little League World Series.
Edmondson struck out 15 a week after striking out 12 in his no-hitter in the Southeast championship.
Throwing around 80 mph, the right-hander struck out the side four times. He struck out 10 straight between the third and sixth innings in South Carolina's first LLWS game since 1950. Charleston in 1949, and Clinton in 1950, failed to win games in the state's only other appearances.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}''No South Carolina team had been here in 65 years and no team had ever won a game at the Little League World Series so it means a lot. It's a big deal,'' Taylors manager Kevin Tumblin said.
Edmondson also had an RBI single and was 3 for 4 at the plate.
Terrence Gist hit long home run to the top of the hill beyond left field in the third inning, giving South Carolina a 3-1 lead. Ben Tumblin and Gage Laymon added RBI singles in the fourth and sixth innings, and South Carolina finished with 13 hits.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rhode Island scored its lone run in the first when David Marchetti walked and came home on two wild pitches and a dropped third strike.
On Sunday, South Carolina will play Lewisberry, Pennyslvania, on Sunday. Lewisberry beat Webb City, Missouri 18-0 in four innings in a night game.
Rhode Island will play Missouri on Saturday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In other openers Friday, it was: Bonita, California 14, Bowling Green, Kentucky 2 in four innings; Pearland, Texas 1, Portland, Oregon 0; Mexicali Baja California, Mexico, 1, White Rock, British Columbia 0; Tokyo 7, Taipei, Taiwan, 5; Kampala, Uganda 4, Santiago de los Caballero, Dominican Republic 1; and Barquisimento, Venezuela 5, Sydney 2.
PENNSYLVANIA 18, MISSOURI 0, 4 INNINGS
Cole Wagner had two homers, a double and a single and drove in six runs in four at-bats and Lewisberry routed Webb City.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Wagner hit a grand slam and a two-run home run during an eight-run third inning and Pennsylvania scored 18 runs in the two middle innings. Pennsylvania finished with 16 hits and gave its fans from Lewisberry, a two-hour drive from Williamsport, plenty to cheer.
The Mid-Atlantic champions scored 10 runs in the second inning, highlighted by Kaden Peifer's three-run home run that made it 4-0. Pennsylvania had nine hits in the inning, the first seven reached base and five straight had hits at one point. Chayton Krauss, Jake Cubbler and Adam Cramer all were 2 for 2 in the inning. Pennsylvania added eight runs in the third inning that started with Wagner hitting a mammoth home run to dead center field. His grand slam traveled even farther, nearly reaching the top of the hill beyond the center field wall.
CALIFORNIA 14, KENTUCKY 2, 4 INNINGS
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bonita hit a record-tying five home runs in an 11-run third inning to easily beat Bowling Green.
Antonio Andrade opened the homer spree, pinch-hitter Nick Maldonado had a two-out grand slam, and Nate Nankil, Levi Mendez and Walker Lannom also homered. Bonita tied the series record set by the Dominican Republic in 1992. Dante Schmid also homered for Bonita.
''We got hyped up and that passes on,'' Schmid said. ''It feels amazing.''
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Carson Kelley hit a two-run home run for Kentucky.
California will play Texas on Sunday.
TEXAS 1, OREGON 0
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Isaac Garcia broke up a perfect game with a home run in the fourth inning, then threw 1 2/3 innings of hitless relief to lead Pearland past Portland.
Jarrett Tadlock and Garcia combined on a one-hitter and had 11 strikeouts.
''That was a great baseball game. There were no errors, no walks and one hit by each team,'' Pearland manager Andrew Solomon said. ''That was baseball at its finest. It was an awesome game at any level, but to watch boys who are 12 and 13-years-old play that level on that stage was incredible.''
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MEXICO 1, CANADA 0
Daniel Zaragoza singled home Raul Leon in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift Mexicali Baja California past White Rock.
Leon led off with a triple to right and Leon singled in the next at-bat, leaving Canada starting pitcher Matthew Wilkinson with a no-decision.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mexico will play Japan on Sunday.
JAPAN 7, TAIWAN 5
Kengo Tomita hit two home runs in Tokyo's victory over Taipei.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Shingo Tomita led off the game with a home run to right-center for Japan, and Kengo Tomita made it 2-0 with his first homer. Kengo Tomita's second home run, a solo shot in fifth, gave Japan a four-run lead.
Kengo Tomita also singled in Japan's four-run second inning.
Yen Cheng Yu hit a two-run home run for Taiwan in the sixth.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}VENEZUELA 5, AUSTRALIA 2
Yeiner Fernandez hit a three-run home run in the top of the sixth inning in Barquisimento's victory over Sydney.
Fernandez's opposite-field shot traveled an estimated 310 feet and nearly hit cars in the Volunteer Stadium parking lot -- some 100 feet past the outfield fence that sits 225 feet from home plate.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jake Burns homered for Sydney.
Venezuela will play Uganda on Sunday.
UGANDA 4, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 1
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Francis Alemo hit a two-run double and also earned the victory in Kampala's victory over Santiago de los Caballero. Jovan Edaku pitched two innings for the save.