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Harlem homers way into U.S. semifinals

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Even though Alibay Barkley wasn't expecting a fastball, he handled it.

Barkley and Andrew Diaz hit home runs in a three-run fourth and Harlem, N.Y., beat Aptos, Calif., 5-2 on Tuesday to clinch a spot in the U.S. semifinals at the Little League World Series.

"My coach told me to keep my head down and expect a curveball," Barkley said. "I wasn't expecting a fastball, but that's what they threw me, and I went with the pitch."

Barkley brought Harlem within 2-1 with his home run to left. Fernando Frias reached on a fielder's choice and Diaz gave Harlem a 3-2 lead with a high fly to leftfield that landed just behind the hedge, which is 235 feet from home plate (the outfield wall is 205 feet).

Jeremy Lopez hit a two-run home run to center in the fifth to pad the lead.

"They're very powerful -- you can't throw them fastballs," Aptos manager Dave Anderson said. "We threw them three fastballs and they hit them out. That's our fault."

Harlem (2-1) finished second in its pool and will play Worcester, Mass., on Thursday in the semifinals. Louisville, Ky., and Fort Worth, Texas, play today in the first U.S. semifinal.

Aptos (1-2) had a chance to tie it in the bottom of the sixth, but with runners on second and third, Javier Lopez (2-0) ended the game with his 11th strikeout.

"His focus us just unbelievable," Harlem manager Morris McWilliams said of Javier Lopez. "It's kind of a joke we have with Javier -- we tell him it's okay to smile."

Among those in the stands supporting the Harlem team was Danny Almonte, the pitcher who became a star last year after throwing a perfect game for the Rolando Paulino Little League of the Bronx, N.Y., but who was later found to be too old to play.

JAPAN 5, NETHERLANDS ANTILLES 0: Yoosuke Katoh struck out seven and hit a two-run double for Japan (3-0), which won the pool and plays Guam today in the first international semifinal. Netherlands Antilles (2-1) was the first team to get a hit off Japan and will play Venezuela in Thursday's semifinals.

GUAM 12, CANADA 7: Hosea Ware, Brandon Rosario and Samuel Roberto hit home runs as Guam (2-1) scored all of its runs in the top of the sixth.

SAUDI ARABIA 6, VENEZUELA 5: Craig Lumpa's two-run single in the fifth scored the go-ahead run for Saudi Arabia (2-1), which lost out in the tiebreakers and will not advance. Venezuela (2-1) won the pool despite losing its final game.

KENTUCKY 4, NORTH CAROLINA 2: Ethan Henry and Casey Jordan drove in three runs in the third, and Henry scored on a passed ball in the fifth for Kentucky (3-0). Robbie Scott's two-run double in the fourth brought North Carolina (0-3) within 3-2.

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