Little League World Series: Jackson's Holbrook Falls To Connecticut

WILLIAMSPORT, PA — The rematch it had been been hoping for didn't go its way, but the Holbrook Little League team made its mark on the Little League World Series anyway.

The sixth team from Ocean County to make it to Williamsport put on an offensive display that wowed watchers for days, but on Wednesday morning it ran into one team that managed to cool its bats, falling to Connecticut 12-2 in five innings.

Dean Daddio, called on to pitch at the last minute due to an injury to Tai Mann, shook off a tough start, where Connecticut put up five runs in the first inning, to throw three shutout innings after that. But a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth inning sealed Holbrook's fate, as Holbrook struggled once again to get much of anything going against Connecticut ace Ethan Righter. Righter struck out eight Holbrook batters before leaving the game due to pitch count.

The play-by-play from the game is below.

FIRST INNING

Ethan Righter pitching for Connecticut.
Ryan Kinsman batting. Pops up on an 0-1 pitch to short center. One out.
Garrett Drew batting. Strikes out swinging. Two out.
Chris Cartnick batting. Grounder to second on 0-1. Three outs.
Teams 0-0 after top of the first.

Dean Daddio pitching for Holbrook.
Righter hits infield single.
Michael Iannazzo singles to right, Righter to second.
Matthew Vivona batting. Wild pitch, Righter moves to third, Iannazzo to second. Vivona doubles to left, Righter, Iannazzo score. Connecticut leads 2-0.
Tyler Bauer batting, Vivona to third on a wild pitch. Bauer walks.
Troy Ashkinos walks. Bases loaded.
Aidan Rivera hits into a fielder's choice, Bauer put out at third, Vivona scores. Ashkinos to second. One out. Connecticut leads 3-0.
Andrew Cutler singles to right, bases loaded.
Owen Kalagher bloop single to short center, Ashkinos scores. Connecticut leads 4-0.
Leo Randazzo grounds into a fielder's choice, Kalagher out at second, Rivera scores. Two out. Connecticut leads 5-0.
Righter flies out to right. Three out.
Connecticut leads 5-0.

SECOND INNING
J.R. Osmond batting. Strikes out looking. One out.
R.J. Vashey batting. Strikes out swinging. Two out.
Charlie Meglio batting. Draws a walk.
Mike Arent batting. Singles to right, Meglio to second.
Daddio batting. Singles to right, Arent scores, Meglio to third. Connecticut leads, 5-1.
Andy Osmond batting for John Grano. Draws a walk. Bases loaded. Grano on as special pinch-runner.
Kinsman batting. Strikes out swinging. Three out.
Connecticut leads, 5-1.

Iannazzo line drive to center on first pitch, Arent makes the catch. One out.
Vivona batting. Pops up to right center on 1-1, Grano makes the catch. Two out.
Bauer batting. Draws a walk.
Sean O'Neil batting for Ashkinos, hits fly ball to center, Arent makes the catch. Three out.
Connecticut leads, 5-1.

THIRD INNING

Drew batting, flies out to right center. One out.
Cartnick batting. Doubles down the right-field line on 3-1.
J.R. Osmond batting. Grounder back to the pitcher, out at first, Cartnick to third. Two out.
Vashey batting. Wild pitch, Cartnick scores. On strike three, the ball gets past the catcher, Vashey runs to first. Called safe but overturned on video review. Three out.
Connecticut leads 5-2.

Anthony Pollack batting for Rivera. Strikes out swinging. One out.
Anthony Falletta batting for Cutler, draws a walk. Cutler on to run for Falletta.
Christian Smith batting for Kalagher. Line drive to left on 3-2, Drew makes the catch. Two out.
Griffin Dodder batting for Randazzo. Grounds into a fielder's choice. Three out.
Connecticut leads 5-2.

FOURTH INNING

Meglio batting. Strikes out looking. One out.
Anthony Abbonizio batting for Arent. Grounds out to second. Two out.
Tai Mann batting for Daddio. Strikes out swinging. Three out.
Connecticut leads 5-2.

Daddio pitching.
Righter grounds out to third, Andrews to Vashey. One out.
Iannazzo singles to left, bounces away, Iannazzo to second, advances to third on a errant throw.
Vivona intentionally walked.
Bauer grounds to third. Iannazzo caught in a rundown, ruled safe at third despite running out of the base path into the coach's box.
Ashkinos batting. Fouls off first pitch, then homers to center for a grand slam. Connecticut leads 9-2.
Pitching change for Holbrook. Andrews pitching.
Rivera batting. grounder to Daddio at third. Two out.
Cutler batting, draws a walk.
New Jersey pitching change. Andrews injured, according to ESPN. The injury is unspecified. Vashey pitching.
Smith batting. Strikes out. Three out.
Connecticut leads 9-2.

FIFTH INNING

Grano batting. Ground ball to shortstop. One out.
Andy Osmond batting. Earns a walk on six pitches.
Drew batting. Strikes out swinging. Two out.
Connecticut pitching change due to pitch count. Vivona pitching.
Cartnick singles.
J.R. Osmond grounds into fielder's choice. Three out.
Connecticut leads 9-2.

Vashey pitching.
Randazzo singles to left.
Righter grounds out, Daddio to Andy Osmond. O'Neil pinch-running for Randazzo, takes second. One out.
Iannazzo batting. O'Neil advances on a wild pitch. Iannazzo walks.
Vivona batting. Wild pitch, O'Neil scores. Iannazzo to second. Iannazzo to third on a wild pitch. Vivona walks.
Bauer batting. Vivona tries to steal on 1-1. Caught in a rundown. Two out. Bauer walks.
New Jersey pitching change. Andy Osmond pitching.
Ashkinos batting. Wild pitch, Bauer to second. Ashkinos hits a fly to short center that falls in for a single. Bauer scores. Game over.

Connecticut wins, 12-2.

Photos courtesy of Little League Baseball & Softball