SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Paseo Verde Little League coach Adam Johnson had his ace on the mound Friday, so he was confident he would see a solid pitching performance.
He hadn’t expected that a no-hitter in the intense heat would take Henderson’s team to the Little League World Series.
Wyatt Erickson shut out Dixie (Utah)’s hitters in a 2-0 win in the Mountain Region championship game.
Paseo Verde advances to the Little League World Series, which begins Wednesday in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Paseo Verde will play its first game Thursday at noon Pacific time against South Shore, the Metro Region champion from Staten Island, New York.
Paseo Verde finished the regional tournament 4-1, advancing from the losers’ bracket after losing their first game, and clinched the title with three consecutive clean sheets.
“As a team, we felt like our pitching was well prepared,” Johnson said. “We had our big guns ready and knew that if we could make it to today, Wyatt would be successful.”
Erickson, who also threw a no-hitter in a 12-0 Nevada State Championship win over Reno on July 21, said he knew early on that his pitches were working. Against Dixie, he managed four strikeouts and a walk.
“I felt really good in the first inning,” Erickson said. “I knew I was in a good mood.”
Paseo Verde only managed four hits against Dixie pitcher Maverick Andrus, but still found a way to show pace from the start.
Noah Letalu put Paseo Verde on the scoreboard first, scoring a run in the first inning with a soft single to left field.
Dominic Laino gave his team a boost by opening the second inning with a big triple to center-right. He later scored on a fielder’s decision to give Paseo Verde a 2-0 lead.
“We just needed one base hit and I saw one out,” Laino said. “He went into the gap and I just kept running. I knew we needed that safety run.”
Dixie, which had only three baserunners in the game, couldn’t respond. Erickson remained in total control and said he avoided thinking about a no-hitter until late.
“I was hitting my spots, my breaking ball was moving and I could get the ball anywhere I wanted it to go,” he said. “But I didn’t think about a no-hitter until the fifth inning. I knew I was really on a roll and I finally felt good about it at that point.”
Erickson hit a Dixie batter with two outs in the sixth inning and then managed a ground ball to shortstop that led to a fielder’s decision to kick off the celebrations.
Johnson said he was pleased with his team’s chances in Williamsport, noting that he has exceptionally strong pitchers.
“We’re fortunate to have Wyatt as our top player,” Johnson said. “We have five pitchers and outstanding pitchers throughout the lineup.”
Contact Jeff Wollard at [email protected].
