Sal Garcia III lead off the game with a smash hit down the third base line for a double on a 3-2 pitch. The
Elmora team was anxious to deliver a message to New York. Team Manager Jairo Labrador and his coaches were looking to set the tone for the game. The EYLL players brought their bats.
JR Rosada hit a soft roller for an infield single. Yadi Mateo hit an RBI single to bring SG3 home.
Jayden Capidinca hit a single to drive in Yadi. He added a stolen base later in the inning for a rare swipe against a very good NY catcher. JR pitched a quick 1-2-3 inning in the
bottom if the first with 2 strikeouts against the top of the powerful NY lineup. The tone had been set and the NJ Elmora Team executed their plan to put pressure on NY.
In the top of the 2nd, Josiah Sharpe opened up with a base on balls and the NY manager went to his next
pitcher. Sal greeted him with a single. JR added a deep single to center field to load the bases for Yadi. After two breaking balls for strikes, Yadi hit the third pitch up the
middle for a RBI single. Jayden Capidinca picked up 2 RBIs with his single to right. Yamil Soto picked up two more RBIs with a single to right field. Joel Sanchez picked up the 7th run in the inning with his RBI single. NY scratched out a run in the bottom of the inning on a wild pitch. JR picked up his 2nd strikeout of the inning to end the NY rally as the Troopers held a 9 to 1 lead.
JR Rosado started the third inning with a double down the left field line. Derek Escobar picked him up with
a RBI single. Yamil got another RBI with a single to score special pinch runner Manny Nunez. The top of the NY order rallied back to score 3 runs in
the bottom of the third with a single, triple and double. JR ended the NY rally with 2 strikeouts. EYL held an 11 to 4 advantage.
Manny Nunez started the fourth with a bunt single. He made it to third base, but the NY pitcher Gabriel
Reyes ended the threat with 2 strikeouts to deny the Trooper offense runs in fourth. JR Rosada responding by striking out 3 NY batters in a row on 9 pitches to help NJ maintain their lead.
In the 5th, the NJ offense was held in check. JR pitched to one batter in the bottom of the
inning and recorded his 11th strikeout. He also hit the maximum number of pitches. Coach Jairo Labrador called upon Yadriel Mateo to take the mound. On his first pitch, Yadi introduced the Little League world to his new pitch, the curve ball. Against Maryland earlier in the week, Yadi dominated the game with his fastball. Pitching Coach Lou Aponte recently taught Yadi the pitch and it was a devastating knee buckler to the batter. The NY Batter turned to his coach and said, "I can't see the pitch". Mateo retired him on a 6-3 putout and then struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Joel Sanchez opened the 6th inning with a single as the Trooper Offense looked to pad their lead. Santi Alvarez was hit by pitch to put two on with no outs. The Trooper merry-go-round continued with a single by Sal, a single by JR, Yadi was walked, Cap got hit by a pinch and Derek hit a single. Justin was retired on a 1-3 putout but the hits continued as Yamil and Joel followed with singles. The Troopers padded their lead to 19 to 4. Yady pitched the bottom of the 6th inning. The NY team started things off with an infield single, but EYLL recorded the next out on a 5-3 put-out, Yady picked up his 2nd strikeout for out #2, an 1-3 put-out put the EYLL team in the 2019 Little League World Series.
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