SOUTH WILLLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Ricky Offenberg homered and Chad Knight had a run-scoring double during a fifth-inning rally that lifted Westport to a 3-2 victory over South Nashville, Tenn. last night in the teams’ opening game of the Little League World Series. Knight gave Westport the lead after Offenberg tied it 2-2 with a leadoff homer.
Ben Pickman homered on reliever Harry Azadian’s first pitch to give South Nashville a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth, but Azadian retired the next five batters. Pickman and Knox Preston each had a pair of hits for South Nashville.
Washington 8, Texas 4
Dalton Chandler came on in relief and struggled for Sammamish, Wash. Then he stepped up to the plate and turned things around.
“The hitting made me feel a little better. I was still a little nervous,” Chandler said.
Chandler allowed three runs before hitting a single, double and triple in four plate appearances, and Sammamish used four pitchers to beat Corpus Christi, Texas, 8-4 to advance to the second round.
Jack Carper had a home run among his three hits and Nathan Fitzgibbons drove in two runs for the Northwest champions, who moved on to a winner’s bracket game Sunday against Westport
Mexico 14, Australia 0
Brandon Meza struck out eight and knocked in three runs, and Brandon Montes added a three-run homer for the Mexican champions in the third inning.
Perth was the first team from the continent to qualify for the LLWS after Australia became its own region for the first time this year.
Chase Diggans had the first two hits in LLWS history for Australia, including a first-inning double.
Panama 9, Puerto Rico 4
Armando Lopez knocked in three runs, and Daniel Fernandez and Juan Crisp each hit two-run home runs for Panama.