The dream continues for the Elmora Youth Little League team from Elizabeth.
The Troopers advanced in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. with a 2-0 win over Barrington, Rhode Island on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Elmora scored the game’s only runs in the top of the sixth, the first on a groundout RBI by Jayden Capindica that scored Sal Garcia and the second on an error.
Elmora will next take on River Ridge, La. in the Wednesday, Aug. 21 elimination game. If Elmora loses, than it will be eliminated. If Elmora wins, then the Elizabeth squad will play the loser of Wednesday’s region semifinal.
The winner of that game will advance to the U.S. region final.
So as of now, Elmora needs to win two more games to reach the U.S. region final.
Pitchers Sal Garcia, J.R. Rosado and Capindica combined to toss a one-hit shutout. Garcia started and threw four complete, no-hit innings. Rosado started the bottom of the sixth and retired the first two batters he faced on strikeouts. He then gave up a single, which was the first and only hit by the Barrington, RI team.
Then Capindica came in to pitch and – with the tying run at the plate – he got the next Barrington batter to hit a ground ball to Elmora third baseman Derek Escobar, who made a fine throw to first for the game’s final out.
Barrington had runners on first and second and nobody out in the fifth when Rosado came in to relieve Garcia and proceeded to retire the next three batters.
In its three games so far, winning two of them, Elmora has scored eight runs and given up eight runs. The Troopers have one win by shutout and one loss by shutout.
Here are Elmora’s results so far:
Friday, Aug. 16: Elmora Youth Troopers 6, Oregon 2
Monday, Aug. 19: Hawaii 6, Elmora Youth Troopers 0
Tuesday, Aug. 20: Elmora Youth Troopers 2, Rhode Island 0
If Elmora wins Aug. 21, then the Troopers will play again Thursday, Aug. 22 at 7 p.m.
If Elmora wins Aug. 22, then the Troopers will play again Saturday, Aug. 24 at 3:30 p.m. in the United States final.
The games scheduled for the final day of competition – Sunday, Aug. 25 – include the consolation game at 10 a.m. and the LLWS Final at 3 p.m.
– JR PARACHINI