Illinois 1 – Staten Island 0
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – It’s all falling apart at the seams for the Staten Islanders at the Little League World Series.
They were nearly no-hit by Illinois pitcher David Hearne, they lost their second-best player in Chris Goetz, hospitalized with a lower leg injury after being thrown out at the plate, ended the game on a bizarre double-play gaffe and fell to 0-2 following last night’s 1-0 loss before 15,000 at Lamade Stadium.
Little League spokesman Chris Snow said Goetz was taken to the hospital for observation after being carried off the field by the coaches.
Staten Island broke up Hearne’s no-hitter in the last inning when Frank Smith singled after a walk to Peter Sciarillo, but the play degenerated into a wacky, game-ending double-play when Smith, last Monday’s home-run hero, thought the game had ended. Sciarillo was thrown out trying to get to third. When Smith moved up to second, he apparently thought there were three outs and started walking back to the dugout. He was then tagged out in the vicinity of first base to end the game.
Despite all the trauma, Staten Island still has not been mathematically eliminated from advancing to the semifinals, but its chances are slimmer than slim. Goetz was scheduled to pitch in tomorrow’s do-or-die game against Phoenix, but likely will be out as he may have suffered a broken ankle sliding into the catcher.
If Staten Island beats Phoenix tomorrow and Illinois loses to Georgia, three teams would stand at 1-2. Staten Island could still win a tiebreaker since it’s based on the leanest run differential and the Mid-Atlantic reps have lost two one-run games.
Staten Island’s bats were asleep all night and managed only five baserunners – three on walks, one on a hit by pitch and Smith’s single. Not even a surprise phone call from Yankee slugger Jason Giambi could awake them. Giambi called the team from Boston during Staten Island’s batting practice last night at the cages blocks from the stadium.
The call was put on a cellphone speaker so all the kids could hear it. Giambi told them, “We’re rooting for you, we’ve been watching you on TV, go out and play hard.”
With a chance to tie the score at 1, with Goetz at third base, Robert Ortiz hit a grounder to the left of the pitcher’s mound. Hearne fielded it, fired home and catcher Zack Soria blocked the entire plate, applying the tag as Goetz’s slide ended two feet from home. Goetz’s ankle or calf appeared to be jammed.
Illinois scored in the second inning on a rally triggered by a hit batsman that led also to the hospitalization of Austin Mastela. Calabrese’s 70 mph fastball hit Mastela in the ear flap of the helmet, with the impact causing the headgear to fly off. Mastela crumpled to the dirt and his coaches and a physician rushed out.
Mastela stayed down for several minutes. He was taken to a nearby hospital for observation, and the speedy Zak Katsulis pinch-ran for Mastela. The delay rattled Calabrese, who then allowed a run-scoring triple on a shot by Chris Stoeberl that bounced just inside the right-field line.