Four outs from its first loss at the Little League World Series on Wednesday, Palma Ceia/Bayshore pounded out 10 straight hits with two outs in the sixth inning, scoring nine times for a 12-7 victory against Ankeny, Iowa.
The win kept the Junior Baseball team undefeated with one game left in pool play. As PC/Bayshore and Pearl City, Hawaii, are 3-0, they'll play Friday for the U.S. championship no matter the outcome of today's game. The winner faces the International champion Saturday in the World Series final.
The 13- and 14-year-olds from PC/Bayshore started Wednesday's sixth inning with back-to-back hits. A double play by the Central Region champs almost pulled them out of the inning. But Graham Ramos revitalized PC/Bayshore with an RBI single, and ninth hitter Cornelius Gallon smacked his second homer of the game to pull to 7-5.
Peto Kirkwood added a home run, then pitcher Michael Lashbrook roped a single, followed by hits from Carter Ilgenfritz and Carlos Laluz. No. 5 Steff Lazzara punched through with a hit as did Rob Foster. Chandler Flom added to the lead before Ramos' single scored two.
