Fairfield American Victorious in LLWS Opener

Fairfield American continued  its remarkable penchant for winning close games.

Jack Quinn's two-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning snapped a tie Friday and lifted Fairfield American to a 3-1 victory over Auburn, Washington in the opening game of the 64th Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Chris Howell reached safely when his squibber to first base was mishandled by Casey Manning for an error to open the inning. Winning pitcher Nick Nardone then walked to set the stage for Quinn's double to the gap in right-center.

"I knew he (Isaiah Hatch) was going to throw a fastball down the middle because he couldn't walk me (to load the bases),"said Quinn,  who has come alive after going hitless in his first 11 at-bats in the New England Regionals. "I just loaded up."

Fairfield American will be back in action on Sunday at 8 p.m. against Pearland, Texas, which held on for  a 10-8 victory over Plymouth, Minnesota in Friday's second game.

Pearland opened an 8-0 after two innings, but Plymouth made in interesting by scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth.

"It's great to get the first one in the pool play here," Fairfield American manager Chris Daley said.  "Nick pitched an incredible game (and) Jack came up with the big hit."

Fairfield American won its five games in the regionals by a combined eight runs, and that trend continued Friday.

In contrast, Auburn won its six games in the Northwest Regionals by a combined score of 73-11.

But it was held in check by Nardone, who continued his stellar pitching, allowing one unearned run over 5 2/3 innings with no walks and 10 strikeouts.

"The curve was my strikeout pitch, " Nardone said . "I wasn't hanging it. We had to keep it close and hope we would get a big hit by the end of the game. That we we did."

Nardone exceeded his 85-pitch count limit before he could complete the game. Eddie Magi threw one pitch and got Dylan Davis to fly out to right to end the contest

That was the same formula Fairfield American used in its 1-0 victory over Rhode Island in the regional final.

This time, however, there was a little less pressure on Magi, as he entered with only a runner on first base and a two-run lead. In the Rhode Island game, he came on with the bases loaded and struck out the final batter with the winning run on base.

Fairfield American drew first blood in the second when Nate Klein led off with a single and Billy McGrath was hit by a pitch. Two outs later, Tommy Ryan singled to load the bases. Klein then scored on a wild pitch by Manning, who started on the mound for Auburn.

Nardone did allow six hits, but he worked out of a number of jams, including a first-and-third threat with no outs in the fifth.

Auburn scored its only run in the fourth when Robbie Wilson's single in front of center fielder Chris Howell. Manning raced home from second, beating Howell's high throw to the plate.

Nardone avoided further damage in the inning with a pair of strikeouts. However, third baseman Klein may have prevented a bigger inning  when he made a lunging catch on Dillon O'Grady's smash leading off the fourth for the defensive play of the game.

"I saw a line drive coming at me," said Klein, who had two hits and also made the final out of the game after he moved to right field.  "I stuck out my glove."  

Fairfield American threatened in the first when Ryan, who also had two hits,  singled and went to third on two wild pitches, but Connor Daley hit into a fielder's choice.

Fairfield American stranded two runners in the third after a pair of walks.

"They batted better than us, they played defense better than us and they pitched better than us," said Auburn manager Kai Nahaku, who felt the difference was his team's inability to hit Nardone's curve.

With Auburn runners on the corners and no outs in the fifth, shortstop Ryan fielded Hatch's grounder and forced Tyler Tam at the plate for the first out of the inning.

 A close play at the plate promped Nahaku to make the first manager's challenge of the LLWS, but a video replay upheld the out call.  This year, Little League Baseball has expanded the use of video replay to include safe-out calls and give manager's one unsuccessful challenge during a regular length game.