WILLIAMSPORT — Whalley won a nailbiter in extra innings to avoid elimination in the Little League World Series Saturday in Williamsport.
Team Canada beat Spain 2-1 in dramatic fashion, winning in the bottom of the 10th inning when Joey Marino drove in Nate Colina to score the winning run with a hard single up the middle.
Now it’s Canada’s turn to celebrate! After a thrilling 10-inning showdown with Spain, 🇨🇦 advances to play another day. GREAT comeback and heart from 🇪🇸. What a game!!! #LLWS #LLWSxESPN #LLWS2018 @LittleLeague pic.twitter.com/CO052P0xTa
— Sebastian Salazar (@SebiSalazarFUT) August 19, 2018
Post walk-off selfie!🇨🇦 #LLWS pic.twitter.com/xTt6EvAxVR
— Little League (@LittleLeague) August 19, 2018
Saturday night’s pitching duel was the fourth elimination game in Little League World Series to go 10 innings since 2001 and the first since 2007.
Canada’s pitching was nearly perfect. Jordan Jarmillo started for Canada and pitched 3.2 innings. He struck out five and allowed three hits and no runs. Zaeden Pleasants then pitched 5.1 innings, allowing just two hits and struck out 12 of the 18 hitters he faced. The only run he allowed was a solo shot in the top of the sixth, which tied it up for Spain.
Zaeden Pleasants gave up the game-tying homer in the sixth inning. But that didn't stop him from showing respect in today's #LLWS game.pic.twitter.com/oNbLzeKeDZ
— Sporting News Canada (@sportingnewsca) August 19, 2018
Cole Balkovec relieved Pleasants in the 10th, pitching a scoreless inning.
Canada’s next game will be Monday at 3 p.m. (PST). They will play Mexico.
On Friday, Canada fell 8-3 to a big, strong team from Panama.
Team Canada plays in the International bracket, which includes seven other teams. A total of 16 teams play at the Little League World Series, a 10-day tournament that concludes on Aug. 26 with a championship game between the U.S. and International pool winners.
CLICK HERE to see the full schedule.
Whalley’s 13-player roster includes Joey Marino, Andre Juco, Kai Sheck, Ian Huang, Zeaden Pleasants, Nate Colina, Colten Myers, Jaren Ashbee, Ty Grewal, Cole Balkovec, Dio Gama, Jordan Jaramillo and Mattias Brisson. They’re coached by Mike Marino, Lucky Pawa and Dean Mayencourt. Players and coaches on the team live in neighbourhoods across Surrey and North Delta.
This is the sixth time Whalley Little League has earned a trip to Williamsport (previously in 1973, 1978, 1997, 2005 and 2006), and the 21st time that a team from British Columbia has earned the nod, including 13 of the last 14 tournaments.
Last summer in Williamsport, a team from White Rock opened the Little League World Series with a 12-2 win over Team Italy. The team eventually placed third in the International bracket of the tourney. The 2017 Team Canada finished with a 2-2 record, first beating Italy and Venezuela (7-3), followed by losses to Japan (10-0) and Mexico (6-2).
