Jr. LL World Series: Florida Over Johnston, 13-3

Johnston's Junior Little League team lost their first game in a week — which included five straight victories in the Eastern Regional tournament — to Tampa, FL, on August 15.

The local squad has the distinction of being the first Rhode Island team to make the Junior League World Series tournament in its 31-year-history, The News-Herald in Michigan reported.

Tampa (2-0) reeled off seven runs in the top of the fifth and four more in the top of the sixth to secure a 13-3 mercy-rule win over Johnston (1-1) in a game that started almost two hours late because Taiwan and Venezuela played 14 innings in the earlier game before the Asia-Pacific team won, 5-1.

Marc Conte's bases-loaded walk scored Zach Coro in the bottom of the first to tie the game, 1-1. Gian Martellini broke the tie on a catcher error that allowed him to reach home from third base.

After Florida scored on a wild pitch in the top of the first, starting pitcher Joe Bongiovanni (4.2 IP, 7 hits 9 runs, 2 K) forced the Southeast team into back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the second and third and allowed just one hit, a Cole Gibbs homer, in the fourth before Florida's bat erupted in the later innings.

Martellini (1-for-2, 1 RBI) hit a home run for Johnston in the bottom of the fifth for the local squad's other score.

Johnston is next set to play Tucson, AZ, (1-1) today at 2 p.m. Central time (3 p.m. Eastern) and Rosenberg, TX, on August 17.

Information for this article was gathered from the Junior Little League International Championship website.

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