CORRECTION: A previous version of this article contained incorrect information. The game referenced was an Intermediate Division contest.
A close game turned into a rout as Elma’s Intermediate Division (11-13) all-star team earned a 14-4 walk-off victory over Seattle Central in the winner’s quarterfinal round of the Little League State Tournament on Tuesday at Lloyd Murrey Park in Elma.
Elma and Seattle Central were locked in a scoreless tie as Elma starting pitcher Bryston Crawford and Seattle Central hurler Anders Klubberude shut down opposing offenses in the early going.
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Elma pitcher Bryston Crawford threw three scoreless innings during a 14-4 victory over Seattle Central in the Little League Senior State Tournament on Tuesday in Elma.
The game turned in the bottom of the third when Elma’s Ryder Lessard reached on an error and was followed later in the inning by hits off the bats of Jordan Lisle, Jackson Bucy, Crawford and Treycen Sample to stake Elma to a 3-0 lead.
Seattle Central responded in the top of the fourth when back-to-back one-out walks to Colin Peters and Klubberude preceded an Elma error that led to two unearned runs on a ball hit by Martin Sorenson.
Seattle Central first baseman Brazon Landis stepped to the plate and crushed Elma reliever James Modersohn’s 1-2 pitch deep over the center-field fence for a two-run home run, giving Seattle Central a 4-3 lead.
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Seattle Central’s Brazon Landis celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during a 14-4 loss to Elma in the Little League Senior State Tournament on Tuesday in Elma.
Facing the possibility of being relegated to the loser’s bracket, Elma’s offense took over the game.
Elma tied the game in the bottom half of the fourth when Jace Gustafson – on board with a one-out walk – came around to score a Lessard single. With two outs in the frame, Lisle and Rupe drove in runs with a single and a double, respectively, to give Elma a 6-4 lead.
“It’s a shot right in the chest, but we told the boys, ‘One run is not going to beat you,’” Elma head coach Mike Lisle said of his team’s reaction to losing the lead. “You have to have that mentality that we could score. We preached that to them and they responded and did what they needed to do.”
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Elma leadoff hitter Jordan Lisle had three hits and scored three runs during a 14-4 victory over Seattle Central in the Little League Senior State Tournament on Tuesday in Elma.
After Modersohn got three ground-ball outs in a clean top of the fifth, Elma’s offense put the game away in the bottom half of the inning. With one run in and two outs, the next eight Elma batters reached base, earning a 14-4 mercy-rule, walk-off victory when Rupe scored from second after Bucy beat out the throw on an infield base hit.
Elma’s offense pounded 17 base hits in the game – four for extra bases – and were led by Lisle, Rupe and Modersohn with three hits apiece.
“We preach to the boys that two-strike hitting is what you have to have, and they were able to do that,” Coach Lisle said. “They fought off the tough pitches and battled back. We had some clutch two-strike, two out hitting and I’m really proud of the boys for that.”
RYAN SPARKS | THE DAILY WORLD Elma’s James Modersohn went a perfect 3-for-3 during a 14-4 victory over Seattle Central in the Little League Senior State Tournament on Tuesday in Elma.
With the win, Elma advances in the winner’s bracket to face a powerful Bellevue National squad that trounced Pullman 17-0 in the tournament’s other winner’s bracket matchup on Tuesday.
“We know it’s going to be tough competition,” Coach Lisle said of advancing further into the tournament. “We’ve got to play our game and, hopefully, us as coaches have set it up right to put them into the best position possible and we have faith and trust that these boys are going to battle no matter what. We know they’ve battled throughout the year and they have that mentality.”
Coach Lisle added the team has been playing together at 11 years of age which has helped foster a strong bond.
“For the most part, all of them have been together and they’re brothers,” he said. “They treat each other like family, they pick each other up when they need to, they have fun when they need to and they’re brothers. That’s all I can say.”
Elma will take on Bellevue at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday in Elma, with the winner advancing to the championship round of the double-elimination tournament.
Seattle Central 000 40x – 4 3 1
Elma 003 38x – 14 17 1
Seattle Central – Peters (0-2, R, BB); Klubberude (0-1, R ,BB); Sorenson (1-1, 3B, R, BB); Landis (1-1, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB); Loesel (0-2); Sellers (0-2); Smith (1-2); Hall (0-2); Kim (0-2); Mack (0-1); Samoun (0-1); Maryman (0-1); Lackey (0-1).
Elma – Lisle (3-4, 2B, 3 R); Rupe (3-4, 2B, RBI); Bucy (2-4, R); Crawford (2-3, R); Sample (1-3, 2B); Modersohn (3-3, R); Young (1-2, R, BB); Gustafson (0-1, 2 R, 2 BB); Lessard (2-3, 2B, 3 R); Russell (0-2, R, BB).
