Cranston Western Loses First World Series Game in 7-1 No Hitter

Cranston Western fell to South Carolina in their opening game at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA, after facing an 80-mph fireballer who no-hit the boys from Rhode Island in a 7-1 gem.

Cranston found itself needing to come from behind early after South Carolina’s Alex Edmonson lined the first pitch he faced over the center field wall for a 2-run homer in the first, driving in Gage Laymon, who singled on a line drive on a 2-0 pitch from Cranston’s starting pitcher Dylan Demers.

Cranston Western came back in the bottom of the first with a run by David Marchetti, who walked and got to third on two passed balls and then scored by stealing home on a strikeout.

Marchetti’s outstanding effort to stretch out his walk from first to home was a positive sign that Cranston was in it to win, and it reflected the teams’s aggressive heads-up play that brought the boys to the World Series in the first place.

But it proved to be the last run of the game for the team, who could not get their bats on the balls thrown by the 6-foot Edmonson, South Carolina’s ace who towered over batters with a blistering fastball that reached the 80 mph mark on multiple occasions. He kept Cranston flat footed through a six-inning complete game and racked up a stunning 15 Ks along the way.

South Carolina added a run in the top of the second, another in the third, the fifth, and two in the sixth to put Cranston at a 7-1 disadvantage in the bottom of the sixth with yet more of Edmonson’s fastballs and curveballs to face. He struck out Demers swinging, Caleb Harris flied out to second and David Marchetti struck out looking to end the game.

It was Edmonson’s second-straight no-hitter and the loss puts Cranston in the loser’s bracket in this double elimination tournament.

The team next plays Saturday night at 8 p.m. against the loser of the contest between Pennsylvania and Webb City, Mo. to be played Friday night.

South Carolina recorded 12 hits. Edmonson collected three RBI on three hits.

Demers took the loss and pitched through 2 1/3 innings. He walked one, struck out four and allowed four runs.

Despite Friday night’s loss, the boys have been having a blast in Williamsport, Pa., the host of the Little League World Series and are thinking about their next game.

Photo Courtesy: Nick Coit of ABC6