Home Run Hays Smashes Southern California Into Final Six
- Updated: August 22, 2021
(Grant “Home Run” Hays torches his first of two home runs Sunday to lead Southern California to its second win in the Little League World Series. Photo courtesy of ESPN.)
Southern California Champion Torrance Little League of Torrance did something different. It started a tournament with wins. Southern California’s all-stars, a.k.a. “The Comeback Kids”, on Sunday improved their record to 2-0 at the 2021 Little League World Series. Led by lights out pitching and monster home runs belted by Grant “Home Run” Hays, SoCal has absolutely dominated in South Williamsport, PA. That strong start comes as quite a change for Torrance.
Last month, The Comeback Kids opened the Southern California Division tournament with a loss. Then, they started the West Region tournament with yet another loss. Each time, Torrance rallied through the elimination bracket to qualify for the next tourney. SoCal did not even win the West. As this year, two teams from each of the United States’ eight regions earned a slot in the Little League World Series, Torrance entered South Williamsport as the West’s runner-up.
Torrance is trying to win the West’s first U.S. championship since a team from Hawaii did so in 2018, the first California team to do so since Chula Vista’s Eastlake Little League in 2013, and the first Los Angeles County league to do it since Northridge City Little League of Northridge in 1994. Yes, almost 30 years ago! This year marks Torrance’s first ever trip to S. Williamsport. Interestingly, that 2018 champion from Hawaii is the same Honolulu Little League of Honolulu competing as this year’s West champ. More on that to follow. But, first, let us discuss SoCal.
The Comeback Kids.
Torrance opened the Little League World Series with a win on Aug. 19. The Comeback Kids not only won, but they won big. Southern California defeated a team from New Hampshire, 10-2. Howard J. Lamade Stadium hosted the contest. SoCal’s offense exploded for four runs in the second and fifth innings against North Manchester Hooksett Little League of Hooksett, NH.
(Gibson Turner smacks a second-inning RBI-single, Aug. 19. Photo courtesy of ESPN.)
To start the second-inning rally, Skylar Vinson singled and stole second base. Then, Elias Emerson drove home Vinson with a single to give Southern California a 1-0 lead. After that, two straight walks loaded the bases. Then, Andrew Nuruki got hit by a pitch, allowing Emerson to score. That increased Torrance’s lead to 2-0. Gibson Turner then belted an RBI-single to put The Comeback Kids ahead, 3-0. A wild pitch with the bases loaded gave SoCal a comfy 4-0 lead.
Home Run Hays.
In the fifth inning, Home Run Hays led off with a double. Two more walks loaded the bases for Emerson. He too walked, scoring Hays for Southern California’s fifth run. The Comeback Kids scored their sixth run, when Isaac Mora got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. A passed ball brought home the seventh run. Then, Nuruki singled home Torrance’s eighth run. SoCal took an 8-1 lead into the sixth inning. There, The Comeback Kids added two more runs, as a walk followed by two errors made the score, 9-1. And then, Dycen Miyake belted an RBI-single to go ahead, 10-1. In the bottom of the sixth, New Hampshire added a run. Final score: 10-2.
On the mound, Southern California’s ace, Turner, pitched impressively, as usual. He threw for three and a third innings, only allowed one run on two hits and two walks. He exited the mound early so that he would be eligible to pitch in Torrance’s next game. Dominic Golia took over for Turner, and pitched lights out on the mound. Golia finished the fourth inning in relief, and then worked the entire fifth inning. He only allowed one batter to reach base, and kept that runner off the scoreboard. With the victory, The Comeback Kids improved their record this year to 17-4.
Let’s Go SoCal !!
On Sunday, Southern California faced Ohio’s team. And, SoCal shut out West Side Little League of Hamilton, OH., 9-0. Little League Volunteer Stadium hosted the game. Torrance jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning, when Vinson singled home Golia. Turner’s third-inning RBI-double put SoCal ahead, 2-0. Then, it happened. Hays smashed his first of two home runs in that game. That first one came as a three-run blast. Hays’ blast increased Torrance’s lead to 5-0.
(Southern California players congratulate Grant “Home Run” Hays after his second home run, Sunday. Photo courtesy of ESPN.)
The Comeback Kids added four more runs in the sixth inning, as Turner belted a two-run double, and then Hays crushed his second home run. That time with a runner aboard. Hays finished the game with five runs batted in. Turner finished with three. Together, those two Bash Brothers drove in eight of Southern California’s nine runs. Amazing performance! On the mound, starting pitcher Xavier Navarro was in an absolute zone. He threw a one-hitter, and only allowed one walk, before exiting the mound in the fifth inning. Navarro kept his pitch-count low, too. He only threw 50 pitches. Thus, Navarro is eligible to pitch again on Wed., Aug. 25. In fact, every player on Torrance’s roster is eligible to pitch that day. On Sunday, Brandon Pérez picked up a well-earned save. Pérez pitched the sixth inning, and only allowed one baserunner, on a walk.
Smoking hot.
Southern California is on such a roll. That team is smoking red hot. In its first two games in S. Williamsport, SoCal outscored its opponents by a whopping total of 19-2. That is fire. And, that is far different than how Torrance started in its two prior tournaments. With the win, Torrance improved its record to 18-4. SoCal is slated to next play in Volunteer Stadium, weather permitting, on Aug. 25. That is when Navarro will be eligible to pitch again. The Comeback Kids will face the winner of tomorrow’s contest between the teams representing Oregon and South Dakota. Their game was originally scheduled for Sunday. However, officials postponed the contest until Monday due to heavy rains and lightning. The weather could further wreck havoc on the schedule. So, we shall see if SoCal plays on Wednesday or not. Until then, stay tuned !!
(California fans in attendance celebrate after Sunday’s victory. Photo courtesy of ESPN.)
Now, let us return to discussing Hawaii. Honolulu’s boys opened the tournament with a decisive win. On Aug. 19, the West champion beat a team from Connecticut, 9-1, at Volunteer Stadium. That improved Honolulu’s record to 11-1 for the year. On Sunday, Hawaii faced a team representing Nebraska. What a crazy game! Honolulu jumped out to a 3-0 first-inning lead at Lamade Stadium. The West champ held that lead into the sixth inning. However, that is when the weather went haywire. Officials halted play with less than one inning remaining. The rain delay lasted approximately three hours and 20 minutes. When the game finally resumed, that is when the score went haywire. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Nebraska mounted a last-ditch rally.
Aloha.
Hastings Baseball Little League of Hastings, NE., scored three clutch runs in the sixth to tie the score, 3-3. That sent the game into extra innings. In the top of the seventh, Hawaii’s bats immediately went to work. Honolulu’s boys answered by scoring eight runs! That put Hawaii ahead, 11-3, and that is how the game ended. The win improved Honolulu’s record to 12-1. Like Southern California, Hawaii has blown away its opponents. Through its first two games in South Williamsport, Honolulu won by a combined score of 20-4. When we add Torrance’s totals to Hawaii’s, the West teams outscored their opponents, 39-6. Wow! That is sheer dominance.
Honolulu is tentatively scheduled to next play on Wednesday at Lamade Stadium. Hawaii will face the winner of tomorrow’s contest between teams representing Michigan and Texas. Their game was scheduled for Sunday, but officials postponed it until tomorrow due to the weather.
Girl power.
Regarding that Texas team, its roster includes a girl. Her name is Ella Bruning, and she is this year’s only girl among the 16 teams competing in S. Williamsport. Bruning is only the 20th female to ever play in a Little League World Series. She made history on Aug. 20. Bruning became the seventh girl to get a hit in S. Williamsport, and only the third to rack up two hits in one game. Bruning is Texas’ starting catcher. She is legit. Here is a highlight clip of Bruning getting it done behind the plate and then at bat against the team representing Washington:
(Texas all-star Ella Bruning makes history on Aug. 20, by becoming only the third female to get two hits in a game at the Little League World Series. Footage courtesy of ESPN.)
In any event, whenever Southern California and Hawaii next play, they will be two of only six teams at that point still competing for the United States crown. My next article shall provide updates on those two, and on Bruning if she does anything major. Until then, Let’s Go SoCal !!
Stay with CaliSportsNews.com, Southern California’s undisputed leader in Little League coverage, as we keep you up-to-date on all things SoCal sports! All Cali, All the time!
Related Posts
About Rabbi Rabbs
