SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Craig Cole hit a run-scoring single in the first and scored the eventual winning run in the fourth to lead Saugus, Mass., to a 4-3 victory against Boynton Beach on Monday to win Pool A at the Little League World Series.
Michael Broad homered, his second of the series, to bring Boynton Beach to within 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth, but Cody Emerson hit into a double play to end the game.
Saugus faces Wilmington, Del., or Richmond, Texas, in Thursday's U.S. semifinal. Boynton Beach plays in Wednesday's semifinal against Pool B winner Chandler, Ariz.
Cole's single to center scored Joseph Kasabuski and put Saugus up 3-0 in the first.
Tyler Grillo and Dario Pizzano led off the game with singles. Grillo scored on a wild pitch, and Pizzano came home on David Ferreira's single.
Devon Travis hit a leadoff homer, his first of three hits, for Boynton Beach in the first, making it 3-1. But Jordan Irene was stranded at third when Broad flied out to center and Richie DeJesus and R.J. Neal struck out.
Boynton Beach pulled within 3-2 in the third when Travis doubled and scored on a wild pitch. Tyler Calla's single in the fourth scored Cole for a 4-2 lead.
OHIO 5, WASHINGTON 4: Matt Keen's three hits and two runs led Tallmadge, Ohio, against Richland, Wash., in the teams' last game. Keen's double gave Tallmadge a 3-0 lead in the second. Keen advanced on a fielder's choice and scored on a passed ball to make it 4-0.
Richland pulled within 4-3 on Cody Shepherd's three-run homer in the fourth.
Nick Thompson made it 5-3, reaching on a fielder's choice then rounding the bases on two throwing errors.
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES 9, SAUDI ARABIA 2: Kevin Moesquit hit a three-run homer in the fourth, and Curacao did not trail. Both teams are 1-1 with a shot to reach the international semifinals.
MEXICO 11, GUAM 3: Alejandro Manjarrez struck out 10 and hit his second homer for Mexico City, which remains alive for an international semifinal berth.
VENEZUELA 7, RUSSIA 1: Adis Portillo allowed one hit in three innings of relief, striking out seven for Venezuela.
JAPAN 7, CANADA 0: Hirofumi Yamazaki allowed one hit, and Shigeki Umeda and Jun Onozawa hit solo homers.
