Texas Blanks Oklahoma, Wins Little League Southwest Region Title

WACO, TX — Texas East could do no wrong Wednesday, easily defeating Oklahoma 8-0 to win the Little League Baseball Southwest Regional championship. The Houston-based Post Oak Little League team (4-0) scored the first two runs in the contest against the Tulsa National Little League all stars (3-2). Richie Klosek clobbered a two-run home run in the first inning to put the home team in front.

That would be all the team needed as Ryan Selvaggi and Carter Pitts combined to throw six innings of shut out ball. They allowed just two hits in all and struck out 12 batters, with Selvaggi earning the win.

In true Texas fashion, the bats came alive early and often in the contest. Texas East scored eight runs on eight hits, including home runs off the bats of — who else — Selvaggi and Klosek. Selvaggi's only hit of the day was a solo home run, but he added two walks to boot.

Texas East will go on to play the winner of the New England region in the Little League Baseball World Series on Aug. 16.

The boys from Texas East have looked like juggernauts so far, pounded their opponents to the tune of 35 runs in their three wins. The team crushed Arkansas 14-1 last week before demolishing Mississippi on Saturday 16-4. On Monday, the team blanked Oklahoma 5-0.

Texas has been buoyed by string offensive performances from Klosek and Selvaggi, who combined for nine hits over the three games, including a home run a piece. Klosek has accumulated seven RBIs in that and scored two runs. Selvaggi has three RBIs of his own and has scored seven runs.

For Oklahoma, the title game represented a chance at redemption, but they couldn't get anything going from the get-go. The team's only loss came against Texas East on Monday when they were shut out and held to just four hits in the contest. Oklahoma has relied on stellar pitching in its three wins over Louisiana and New Mexico (twice). Pitcher Brady Shackelford threw six innings against New Mexico on Tuesday and allwed just two earned runs on nine hits and three walks. On Saturday, Dylan Baldridge, Levi Mathias and Logan Conway combined for seven innings, striking out five batters and allowed just two earned runs on nine hits.

Rosters:

Texas

Kaleb Rook

Ryan Selvaggi

Richie Klosek

Justin Michaels

Andy Guy

Carter Pitts

Cade West

Matthew Hedrick

George Kugle

Andrew Stover

Charlie Wylie

Ethan Goldstein

Parrish Facciponte

Oklahoma

Camden Knutson

Dylan Baldridge

Alex Whitworth

Gamaliel Jones

Brady Shackelford

Cash Crockett

Spence Perry

Levi Mathias

Patrick Hope

Emerson Lane

Logan Conway

Alex Quiroz

Easton Martin

Tanner McMurray

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