THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Canada closed out the Little League World Series with a wild win over Germany on Tuesday.
Katie Reyes’ two-run single helped Canada rally after blowing an eight-run lead to beat the Germans 14-13.
"I was excited. I was shaking," the 13-year-old Reyes said about going to the plate before her big hit.
Canada, represented by the Hastings Community all-stars from Vancouver’s east side, finishes the tournament with a 1-2 record. The team was already eliminated from contention heading into Tuesday’s game.
Elsewhere Tuesday, Saudi Arabia edged Venezuela 5-3; Massachusetts routed Kentucky 12-3; Mexico edged Taiwan 3-2; and Texas doubled California 6-3.
Chris Holba and Matt Zembraski went deep during an 11-run fifth that put the Germans, a team from Ramstein Air Force Base, ahead 13-10.
The German club, made up of children of U.S. soldiers or employees, had not scored in its two previous games and finished the tournament 0-3.
Canada rallied in the sixth, when Anthony Cusati hit his second homer of the game, a two-run shot that got Canada within 13-12. After loading the bases, Reyes drove in the winning runs.
She finished with three hits and three RBIs.
Hastings won the national championship earlier this month by beating Ontario’s Lasalle Turtle Club 9-2 in Val d’Or, Que., but simply advancing out of their district was an accomplishment.
The club has little money and far fewer players than many of its rivals, but overcame the odds to earn the trip to South Williamsport, Pa.
No Canadian team has ever won the tournament
Saudi Arabia 5 Venezuela 3
Saudi Arabia was so excited about winning its last game at the series that every player came into the postgame interview room. Most of them sat in the back while making faces at slugger Cameron Durley and two other teammates up front.
Durley hit a two-run single and reliever John Sheppard held Venezuela hitless the last three innings.
Massachusetts 12 Kentucky 3
Austin Batchelor homered and scored three runs, and Peabody, Mass., used a nine-run third inning Tuesday to pull away from Russellville, Ky. Batchelor also struck out seven on the mound for the win.
Kentucky had its only lead of the game after Ian Woodall’s RBI single drove in Matt Harper in the first.
Mexico 3 Taiwan 2
Marcelo Martinez struck out 12, and Reynosa, Mexico hit three solo homers and held off a late rally to stay undefeated. Martinez didn’t allow a hit but was lifted with two outs in the fifth after reaching his 85-pitch limit.
"I knew about the no-hitter, but I didn’t want to tell him. I didn’t want to jinx him," Mexico catcher Luis Trevino said through interpreter Sergio Guzman. "I just concentrated on making the right (pitch) calls, keeping him relaxed."
Taiwan broke up the no-hitter when Wen Hua Sung homered off reliever Jorge Maldonado to open the bottom of the sixth. Reliever Rojas struck out the final Taiwan hitter for the save.
Texas 6, California 3
Travis Daves and Wyatt Willis each hit two-run homers as Texas stayed undefeated.
Daves’ homer followed a two-run triple by Drew Brooks to put Texas up 4-2 in the third.
California got a run back in the fourth before Willis’ bomb to straightaway centre to give Texas a three-run cushion. The 13-year-old outfielder stomped on third base in delight before getting bombarded by teammates’ high-fives at the plate.
— With files from The Canadian Press
