Pearland's All Stars continue trek toward Little League World Series

KTRK logo
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Pearland Little League All Stars advance to finals
After winning 8-1 Tuesday night, the Pearland Little League All Stars team is now only one game away from returning to the Little League World Series.

WACO, TX (KTRK) -- After winning 9-1 Tuesday night, the Pearland Little League All Stars team is now only one game away from returning to the Little League World Series.

Pearland's All Stars came into the night needing a win to get to the South West Region championship game. Their opponent was the only other undefeated team left in the tournament, North Boulder, Colorado.

In the 3rd inning after Pearland's Zack Mack got hit by a pitch, Marco Gutierrez hit a home run over the right center field fence to give Pearland the 2-0 lead.

Gutierrez then came on to pitch in the bottom of the third, relieving starting pitcher Jarrett Tadlock. Gutierrez managed to keep North Boulder off the score board.

In the bottom of the 4th, the team gave up a one out single to North Boulder's Jackson Woolwine before surrendering a double to Nate Bach that scored Woolwine from from first. That cut the lead to 2-1. With 2 outs in the inning and a runner on third, Pearland's Isaac Garcia came into pitch.

Four pitches later Pearland was out of the inning still in the lead.

With one out in the top of the 5th, Pearland's Jarrett Tadlock got a double, took third on a passed ball and then came home on a throwing error giving Pearland a 3-0 lead.

Zack Mack smashed a single over the North Boulder 3rd baseman's head, that forced a pitching change.

Manager Andrew Solomon brought in Conner DeLeon to pinch run for Mack and took second on a passed ball.

Then Marco Gutierrez hit his second home run of the night over the left center field fence to give Pearland the 5-1 lead.

Pearland's Garcia uses just 10 pitches to get through the 5th inning, striking out a pair of North Boulder batters and getting another to pop out to first base.

In the 6th inning, Lloyd Richards III gets a one out single and Raffi Gross is brought in to pinch run. A passed ball sends Gross to 2nd.

Isaac Garcia then draws a walk brining up Ben Gottfried who hits a 2 run home run extending the lead to 8-1. Jarrett Tadlock then hits a monster shot of a home run of his own to right center field, making the final score 9-1.

The victory puts Pearland in the South West Region Championship game as the only undefeated team left in the tournament. The winner of that game goes to Williamsport. The game is Thursday at 6 and will be televised nationally on ESPN.