Gargiulo Throws Gem, Mariners Even Up World Series

This one is going the distance.

With their season on the line, and rain falling from the sky, the Mariners brought their A-game on Sunday afternoon in the second game of the boys majors Merrick Little League World Series, pummeling the Braves 10-0.

After a crushing loss in game one of the best-of-three series, in which the Braves' Frank Pusateri launched a walk-off two-run homer, the Mariners played with a ton of grit and showed what character they had.

Led by pitcher Jake Gargiulo, the Mariners never allowed the Braves to get anything going on offense.  Gargiulo pitched all five innings in the shortened game at Lakeside School, recording six strikeouts on the afternoon.

The Braves best chance came in the second inning, as Evan Biancardi and Dan Kzremski singled, and William Webber drew a walk to load the bases with one out. With only a three-run lead, Gargiulo buckled down and got the next two batters to strikeout, putting an end to the Braves rally attempt.

"You can't take anything away from the Mariners, they played a great game," Braves Manager Joe Pusateri said.  "(The Mariners had) great pitching by Jake Gargiulo, timely hitting and good fielding."

In the bottom of the first inning, the Mariners scored three runs on three hits, including a two-RBI double by Tom Block up the first base line. Chris Hagerman and Bill Salomon crossed the plate on Block's double as the Mariners looked to add more runs in the first.

The Braves starting pitcher, Pusateri, fielded a comebacker off the bat of Hagerman and cut down Jack Beichert at the plate for the second out of the inning. With the Mariners poised to add to their early lead, Jared Gott hit a sharp ground ball up the middle, but Braves shortstop Ed Krzemski made a nice play to throw out Gott and end the first inning.

Pusateri struck out six batters in his three innings of work for the Braves, as he struck out the side in both the second and third inning, but the Mariners' bats would not be denied.

The Mariners had their biggest inning of the afternoon in the bottom of the third, when five runners rounded the bases, increasing their lead to 8-0.

Anthony Karp started off the inning with a double and scored the first run of the inning. Block recorded his second hit of the game with a two-RBI single followed by Mickey Cianfrone's second of three walks on the day. Gott's RBI single up the middle capped the inning for the Mariners; all five runs were scored with two outs.

"It was a great game," Mariners Manager Steve Beichert said. "They took it to us on Friday; we took it back at them on Sunday."

Gargiulo continued to stymie the Braves offense in the later stages of the game, allowing only two singles in the final three innings to Pusateri and Ryan Biggs. He walked one batter on the afternoon, and set down the side in order in the fifth, which turned out to be his last inning of work.

Chris Nethaway came into pitch for the Braves in the fourth inning and set down three Mariners via groundout, including two hit to him, in his one and one-third innings pitched.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, with the Mariners up 9-0, Block was hit by a pitch with one out. Cianfrone drew his third consecutive walk, and David Aiello sent everybody home with a monster double to right-center field, scoring Block. Aiello's RBI double put the mercy rule in affect.

 "I need my team bounce back and play the game I know they know how to play," Pusateri said. "Tuesday is another day."

The Braves and Mariners will square off in the deciding game of the World Series tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. at Lakeside.

"Now it comes down to a one game series back here Tuesday night," Beichert said. "We look forward to seeing them."

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