No-hitter sends Henderson team to Little League World Series — PHOTOS
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Paseo Verde Little League coach Adam Johnson had his ace on the mound Friday, so he was confident he’d get a solid pitching performance.
He was not expecting a no-hitter in the intense heat to send the Henderson team to the Little League World Series.
Wyatt Erickson shut down the bats of Dixie (Utah) in a 2-0 victory in the Mountain Region championship game.
Paseo Verde advances to the Little League World Series, which begins Wednesday in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Paseo Verde will play its first game at noon Thursday Pacific time against South Shore, the Metro Region champion from Staten Island, New York.
Paseo Verde finished 4-1 in the region tournament — advancing through the losers’ bracket after dropping its first game — including three straight shutouts to claim the title.
“As a team, we felt like our pitching was set up,” Johnson said. “We had our big gun ready, and we knew that if we made it to today, Wyatt was going to have success.”
Erickson, who also threw a no-hitter in a 12-0 Nevada state championship win against Reno on July 21, said he knew early on that his pitches were working. He struck out four with one walk against Dixie.
“I felt really good in the first inning,” Erickson said. “I knew I was on.”
Paseo Verde managed just four hits off Dixie pitcher Maverick Andrus, but still found a way to establish the early tempo.
Noah Letalu got Paseo Verde on the board first, driving in a first-inning run with a soft line single to left field.
Dominic Laino energized his team by opening the second inning with a big triple to the right-center gap. He later scored on a fielder’s choice to give Paseo Verde a 2-0 lead.
“We just needed a base hit, and I saw one outside,” Laino said. “It went in the gap, and I just kept on running. I knew we needed that insurance run.”
Dixie, which had just three base runners in the game, was unable to respond. Erickson maintained total control and said he avoided considering a no-hitter until late.
“I was hitting my spots, my breaking ball was moving, and I could put the ball anywhere I wanted it to go,” he said. “But I didn’t think about (a no-hitter) until the fifth. I knew I really had a groove and finally felt good about it at that point.”
Erickson hit a Dixie batter with two outs in the sixth, then got a ground ball to shortstop for a fielder’s choice to start the celebration.
Johnson said he likes his team’s chances heading into Williamsport, noting that he has an exceptionally strong pitching staff.
“We are fortunate to be able to call Wyatt our ace,” Johnson said. “We’ve got five arms and tremendous pitching up and down the lineup.”
Contact reporter Jeff Wollard at jwollard@reviewjournal.com.