CHULA VISTA (CNS) - Grant Holman pitched a no-hitter as the Eastlake Little League All-Stars from Chula Vista began play in the Little League World Series with a seven-inning 3-0 victory over the Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores Little League All-Stars from Grosse Pointe, Mich., in South Williamsport, Pa.
today.
Holman struck out 13 and allowed one base runner, walking James Mazzola to start the third inning. Holman struck out the next three batters to end the inning and retired the final 15 batters he faced.
Eastlake had one hit in six innings off Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores' starting pitcher, 6-foot-2, 200-pound Chad Lorkowski: a single by Micah Pietila-Wiggs leading off the first.
Antonio Mora walked with two outs in the fourth for Eastlake, advanced to second on a passed ball and third on a wild pitch, but was stranded when Giancarlo Cortez struck out to end the inning.
The regulation six innings ended in a scoreless tie and Lorkowski was forced to leave the mound after six innings when he reached the 85-pitch limit.
Reliever Antonio Moceri allowed singles to Cortez and Rennard Williams to open the seventh. Kevin Bateman II was hit by a pitch one out later, loading the bases.
Patrick Archer, Eastlake's No. 9 hitter, singled in Michael Gaines, the special pinch runner for Cortez, and Williams. Pietila-Wiggs followed with an infield single, driving in Bateman.
The victory improved Eastlake's record to 19-1. It will next play Sunday at 2 p.m., facing the winner of today's game between the all-star teams from the Newark National Little League from Newark, Del., the Mid-Atlantic Region champion, and the Urbandale Little League from Urbandale, Iowa.
