Toms River cruised to another victory at the Little League World Series last night, all but guaranteeing the team a spot in the semifinals later this week.
The plucky, pint-sized ballplayers from New Jersey beat a Boise, Idaho, team, 4-0, showing the same strong hitting and pitching that has made them the favorites to repeat as World Series champs.
“I think we’ve got a good shot now. It looks really good,” their beaming coach Mike Gaynor said after the game.
Gaynor heaped praise on pitcher Zack Del Vento, who had very little tournament experience before being picked at the last minute to start.
Del Vento struck out nine in five scoreless innings.
“I’ve always been able to keep my composure … because my mom has been teaching me that, and that’s something I think about all the time on the mound,” the gangly 12-year-old said.
Most of the game was a pitching duel between Del Vento and Boise’s Devon Biddinger, who, along with his teammates, dyed his hair blond in a show of unity.
But the New Jersey hitters broke through in the sixth and final inning, adding three runs to take a 4-0 lead.
Toms River plays this afternoon against Brownsburg (Indiana), which fell yesterday at the hands of the same Alabama team that lost to Toms River Sunday night.
If Toms River does advance to the semifinals Thursday, it will be playing for bragging rights as the best team in the United States.
The winner of that game will then face the best international team on Saturday afternoon to determine who is the best in the world.
Gaynor said this team may even be better than last year’s champions.
“Coming into this tournament, I just felt that this team was a little bit more talented than last year’s team, top to bottom,” he said. “This year’s team is tough.”