The Little League World Series has been under way since last Wednesday. This year’s version of it is being seen as the Year of the Pitcher. Starting pitchers have been dominant with almost half of the games ending with a shutout. The defense has at times been phenomenal with outstanding plays occurring every day. This is especially true in the outfield where circus catches have become the norm.
The Connecticut team who are now scheduled to play Saturday in the US championship game has been especially good in the field. Their outfielders have thrown out three runners at the plate so far. And Luca Pellegrini, their shortstop when he is not pitching, has been outstanding.
Then there are the double plays. On grounders most double plays in Little League involve the shortstop fielding the grounder, stepping on second and firing to first. The rare one involving both middle infielders usually happen there is a slow runner.
That was not the case on Tuesday in the fifth inning between Hawaii and South Carolina. With South Carolina clinging to a 1-0 lead, Hawaii had the bases loaded with one out. The batter hit a sharp grounder into the hole between first and second. The second baseman fielded, pivoted and fired to the shortstop covering second. The shortstop got rid of the ball very quickly and they got the batter by an eyelash at first. Outstanding execution that kept the score 1-0. Carolina would win 3-1.
All of this just set the stage for the last game of the day on Wednesday, South Dakota vs South Carolina. As has been the case in almost all US games where the teams have been good, the pitching dominated. South Dakota eked out a run that looked like it would stand up until South Carolina got one late in the 6th inning. That set the stage for the 7th inning.
South Dakota had gone up 2-1 and had a runner on second with two outs. The batter got a hit to right field and the fielder cut it off and threw to second base. The batter was coming in and would have been an easy out but the shortstop didn’t see him and threw home late. The run scored and South Dakota would go on to get three more runs ending the top of the 7th up 6-1.
Things looked grim. Five runs down probably seemed like 500 especially when runs seem to be as rare as hen’s teeth. I told my wife that it looked like South Carolina’s improbable run in the Little League tournament was over. It is the kind of grim where moms chew through their nails, dads pace the concourse, and kids in the stands start looking for snow cones instead of rally caps. But Coach… well, Coach didn’t panic. He gathered his boys, looked them in the eye, and talked not about scouting reports.
He told them you’ve got to believe. Not in miracles falling out of the sky, but in yourselves, in each other, in the game that brought you here. And then it happened. The biggest comeback in Little League World Series history. One inning, six runs. A furious rally where ice cold bats came alive. It was accomplished even after their best hitter had struck out. It turned Lamade Stadium into a Carolina carnival. IRMO walked off South Dakota, stayed alive in Williamsport, and kept writing their story. Let’s be reminded that, in the Southeast regional, they scored five runs in the last inning with two outs to win in a walkoff.
In this game the scriptwriters couldn’t have planned it better—because the game ended with the coach’s own son lacing the hit that sent his teammates charging out of the dugout and the crowd into delirium. Believe? In IRMO, they don’t just hang that word on a crooked sign. They live it.
South Carolina will play in the US semi-finals on Thursday. A team of destiny? Maybe.