Little League World Series: Second victory a ‘great feeling’ for West Side

That focus paid off in the evening when the team of 12-year-old all-stars from Hamilton kept its hopes alive in Williamsport, Pa., with an 8-2 victory over Lafayette, La., at Volunteer Stadium.

“They did a great job today,” Coomer said. “They were very selective on their pitches. It’s a great feeling. We’ve been here five times. I’ve been a part of two, where we only won one game. Now we’ve won two.”

West Side improved to 5-9 in the Little League World Series. This is the first time it has won two games in the double-elimination tournament

West Side beat Nolensville, Tenn., 1-0 in eight innings in the first round Thursday and then lost 9-0 to Torrance, Calif., on Sunday.

After scoring one run on two hits in the opener and being shut out on one hit in its second game, West Side collected eight hits against Lafayette and took advantage of seven walks.

“The umpire was giving us three or four inches, but he was giving it both ways,” Coomer said, “so we knew that going up. They kept on trying to hit that outside corner, and we were pretty much not going after those pitches until we had to. The strategy worked. We got some walks out of it.”

Seven different players walked: Levi Smith; JJ Vogel; Cooper Clay; Noah Davidson; Tyler Donges; Krew Brown; and Chance Retherford. Four of those runners scored. Brady Baumann and Smith also reached after getting hit by a pitch.

West Side led 3-2 through three innings but broke the game open with a five-run fourth inning. JJ Vogel hit a three-run home run in the inning.

Vogel went 2-for-3 with four RBIs. Chase Moak went 2-for-3 and drove in a run. Cooper Clay and Chance Retherford also drove in runs. Levi Smith and Retherford each scored two runs.

Coomer said Vogel will most likely start the next game at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Volunteer Stadium. West Side will play Manchester-Hooksett, N.H., or Oswego, Ore. Those teams play at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Lamade Stadium.

Vogel, who threw a five-inning no-hitter against Hinsdale, Ill., in the regional tournament to clinch a Little League World Series berth, threw five no-hit innings in the first round Thursday. He didn’t give up a hit until there were two outs in the top of the sixth.

Noah Davidson started on the mound Monday and allowed two earned runs in three innings. He struck out six.

Kaleb Harden followed with three scoreless innings, striking out three batters.

“A lot of people don’t know that two of our top four pitchers are out,” Coomer said. “We don’t have them available for the World Series. We have to go deep in our pockets. Noah’s our catcher so naturally he doesn’t have a lot of pitching experience at this level, but he worked hard. He battled the first two innings. The plan was to get him one time through the lineup and just do a pitcher rotation from there. But he was pitching well, so we let him go a little bit longer. Kaleb has always been consistent for us. He’s always been a kid who throws strikes, and that’s what we needed at the time with an 8-2 lead.”

WEDNESDAY’S GAME

West Side vs. New Hampshire/Oregon winner, 1 p.m., ESPN