SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - The Little League teams from Huntington Beach, Calif., and Billings, Mont., shared hopes of making it to the World Series when they shared the same dorm in regional play.
Well, they both made it to Little League’s biggest stage - but only California will play for a world championship.
Nick Pratto struck out 10 and had three RBIs, and California built an early three-run lead to cruise to an 11-2 victory over Montana for the US title yesterday at Lamade Stadium.
California will return to the field today to play for the crown against Japan, which took the international bracket earlier yesterday with a 5-2 win over Mexicali, Mexico.
Today’s game time was moved ahead three hours to noon in hopes of avoiding precipitation from Hurricane Irene.
“When I was younger, I used to watch the Little League World Series on TV,’’ said California’s Dylan Palmer, 12, who hit a two-run shot to right in the second.
“It was like, ‘Wow I really want to be there some day,’ and now we’re there.’’
Three nights after losing to Montana, 1-0, California won its second straight elimination game, a rematch with the boys from Billings.
“I don’t think anybody in the Northwest expected Billings to be here. They’ve been our friends for a long time,’’ said California manager Jeff Pratto, Nick’s father. “It’s been a special ride with them.
“We told them maybe we’ll play again somewhere in the middle, maybe Colorado.’’
California left the outcome in little doubt after the fourth inning.
After an RBI ground out in the first, Pratto hit a two-run double in the fourth for a 5-1 lead.
Montana added a run in the sixth on 13-year-old slugger Cole McKenzie’s homer to center field.
“That was [Cole’s] mission in that sixth inning to hit a home run at the Little League World Series,’’ said Montana manager Gene Carlson.
But the California boys did a collective bear hug behind the mound after reliever Trevor Windisch got a force play at second to secure the game’s final out.
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