SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT — Another anemic start. Another Chase Link home run.
Hollidaysburg Little League replicated Monday’s script Monday against Massapequa, New York, using a spark from its top slugger to advance in the Little League World Series. After the Pennsylvania champions recorded the final out against New York, ESPN broadcaster Karl Ravech said it best: “Bull Power lives to fight another day.”
Hburg, representing the Mid-Atlantic region in the United States bracket of the LLWS, did just that.
After falling behind early, Link popped a three-run home run to bring his team alive. Then, after enduring a one hour, 12-minute rain delay, Link delivered again at the plate, spearheading a 7-1 victory over the Metro region champions.
Link continued his hot tournament with a 2-for-4 afternoon at the plate, driving in five runs while scoring two. He and Caleb Detrick’s back-to-back hits in the fourth inning gave a once-close game a new feel.
Hollidaysburg improved to 2-1 at the tournament, and will play again Tuesday in its quest to reach the United States championship game out of the elimination bracket. As we’ve seen since the state tournament in Bradford, however, Monday’s victory followed a familiar formula.
Disaster nearly struck for Hollidaysburg in the second inning, as a pair of defensive mistakes allowed NY to plate the game’s first run. After a mishandled ground ball appeared to create more trouble, however, a cross-diamond throw — and a perfect tag on the toe of a NY runner — helped Hburg avoid a catastrophic inning.
In the Tigers’ ensuing turn at-bat, Aspen Anderson and Ty McGough each blooped a single to start. Link then homered over the fence in left center field, bringing his team’s offense to life, just as he did in Saturday’s victory over New England.
Hburg found itself in trouble in the bottom of the third, as NY loaded the bases with two outs.
Hburg manager Jim McGough quickly went to his bullpen, however, as he has shown a tendency to do since Bradford.
If his pitchers get into trouble, McGough has wasted no time making a change. It has worked more times than not, and it did again Monday, as Aspen Anderson came on and got a strikeout to end the threat.
Anderson has proved a worthy reliever for Hburg, as he turned in 3.1 innings in relief of Brody Dull against NY. Both pitchers produced weak contact throughout their stint, combining to allow four hits and two walks while striking out seven.
After Anderson escaped the third, Hburg quickly re-applied pressure in its half of the fourth. Nate Phillips singled, Anderson reached on an error and Ty McGough walked to load the bases for Link.
Then, it rained.
After a 72-minute break, NY made a pitching change with Link due up. He proceeded to pull a hard-hit line drive through the left side of the infield, driving in two runs.
Caleb Detrick then popped a two-run double to the wall. After waiting around for more than an hour, the Tigers had scored four runs in a minute’s span.
Detrick finished 2-for-4 at the plate, while Braden Hatch and Easton Metzger each added a hit. Hburg out-hit NY, 10-4, while each team made two errors.
Hollidaysburg must win three more elimination games to reach the United States final, a task that will resume Tuesday at 3 p.m. The Tigers will play Hagerstown, Indiana — the champions of the Great Lakes region — who defeated the Midwest region in their first game before falling to the Southeast champions, 5-2, on Monday.
