Day two underway in the 75th annual International Little League Baseball World Series

From the International field, Mexico gets past Australia and South Korea tops Puerto Rico in extra innings

By Arnie Leshin 

Nobody was eliminated on Thursday’s opening day, but it’s always an advantage to open with a win.

Simply put, it’s neat to land among the other International and USA teams in the 75th annual World Little League Baseball World Series. But clearly, it’s a plus to start out 1-0. You win, you don’t have to play again until Sunday.

Friday and Saturday off gives you an advantage in the pitching make-up that follows the regulation hurling numbers. It also rewards you with more leisure time.

It also is a good feeling to know that the double-elimination format will not affect the teams playing on Sunday.

They all come in at 1-0 after Thursday had the USA field’s Mid-Atlantic Region from Staten Island turn back the Midwest Region from Des Moines, Iowa, 5-2, and with the Southwest Regional winner from Texas East edge the New England champion from Rhode Island, 3-1.

In the International field, the same was true for Mexico’s Caribbean Region and the African-Pacific Region’s South Seoul LL South Korea winner. For Mexico, it was a six- inning rally in the bottom of the frame that erased a 2-1 Australian lead and brought a 3-2 triumph.

With two on and two out, Angel Martinez singled up the middle to drive home the tying and winning runs. This set up Sunday’s contest versus the Koreans, who went nine innings to nip Puerto Rico, 4-3, in a lengthy game that went three extra frames.

Mid-Atlantic, which won the championship way back in 1964, trailed for the first time in districts, sectionals and Regions.

Behind 2-0, the Mid-Island LL boys tied things in the top of the fifth and took the lead with three six-inning runs led by the 2-run home run off the bat of winning pitcher Gregory Bruno, who struck out seven and is eligible to take the mound again on Sunday. Bruno had pitched a perfect game in the Regional final.

The New Yorkers will go against the Southwest Region champions out of Houston’s Texas East’s Post Oak LL, which got past the New England champs from Coventry, R.I.

Today also finds the defending champion from Tokyo, Japan, taking the field against Europe-Africa. There’s also the Northwest Regional representative meeting up with the Great Lakes Region champion from Grosse Pointe, Mich.

Winding down on day two, it will be Latin-America going against Canada

and Southeast versus Hawaii’s West champions. These are all elimination games that will keep the victors in the winning bracket, and drop the losers to the loser’s bracket that also eliminates them from the championship round.

On Saturday, the Caribbean team from Puerto Rico takes on Australia of the Gold Coast, Queensland, and Iowa lines up against Rhode Island.

The girl’s LL Softball title went to Ohio’s team of the Mideast Region with a 2-0 zip over the Pennsylvania East Region team on Sunday. Now it’s the boys turn.