Paseo Verde shines in Little League World Series opener — PHOTOS

By Jeff Wollard Las Vegas Review-Journal

4 months ago

Staten Island, N.Y.'s Chace Curro, left, is tagged out by Paseo Verde's Parker Soranaka while a ... — Staten Island, N.Y.’s Chace Curro, left, is tagged out by Paseo Verde’s Parker Soranaka while attempting to score during the fifth inning of a baseball game at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. Nevada won 9-1. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Paseo Verde’s Wyatt Erickson delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against Staten Island, N.Y., at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Paseo Verde’s Russell McGee (17) scores past Staten Island, N.Y.’s Peter Giaccio, the second of two runs driven in on a double by Wyatt Erickson during the third inning of a baseball game at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. Nevada won 9-1. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Staten Island, N.Y.’s Chace Curro, left, is tagged out by Paseo Verde’s Parker Soranaka while attempting to score during the fifth inning of a baseball game at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. Nevada won 9-1. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Staten Island, N.Y.’s Stephen Grippo loses his cap as he delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against Paseo Verde at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Paseo Verde’s Wyatt Erickson hits a two-run double off Staten Island, N.Y.’s Stephen Grippo during the third inning of a baseball game at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. Nevada won 9-1. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Paseo Verde’s Wyatt Erickson (18) is welcomed at the dugout steps after driving in two runs with a double during the third inning of a baseball game against Staten Island, N.Y. at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. Nevada won 9-1. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Paseo Verde’s Wyatt Erickson watches his double off Staten Island, N.Y.’s Stephen Grippo during the third inning of a baseball game at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. Two runs were driven in by Erickson’s double and Nevada won 9-1. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Paseo Verde’s Wyatt Erickson celebrates as he stands on second base after hitting a two-run double off Staten Island, N.Y.’s Stephen Grippo during the third inning of a baseball game at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. Nevada won 9-1. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

State Island, N.Y.’s Peter Giaccio reacts after striking out during the fourth inning of a baseball game against Paseo Verde at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. Nevada won 9-1. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Mountain Region champions Paseo Verde from Henderson participate in the opening ceremony of the 2024 Little League World Series baseball tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

Mountain Region champions Paseo Verde from Henderson ride in the Little League Grand Slam Parade in downtown Williamsport, Pa., Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Paseo Verde Little League’s Wyatt Erickson didn’t need to pitch a gem Thursday, but he did anyway.

Erickson scattered five hits while striking out eight to lead the Henderson team to a 9-1 win over South Shore from Staten Island, New York, in the opening round of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Paseo Verde next plays at noon Monday against the winner of Friday’s game between Wailuku, Hawaii (West Region), and Hinsdale, Illinois (Great Lakes).

“I felt really good today,” Erickson said. “I was locating, finding my spots, and everything was good.”

Though Erickson didn’t get much offensive support in a 2-0 no-hitter last week against Utah in the Mountain Region championship, Russell McGee and Noah Letalu each had two hits and an RBI on Thursday to lead an 11-hit attack.

McGee said his success came as the result of being able to tune out the big-game fanfare.

“There were like 11,000 people there, and they’re all just looking at you,” the shortstop said. “You have to block out the crowd and the noise, and I did just that to get a big hit for us.”

Paseo Verde coach Adam Johnson said the team’s early lead was critical.

“I felt like we had some chances in the first two innings,” he said. “But we kind of felt like once the game slowed down and we worked up the pitch count, we’d get our offense going.”

Erickson allowed no earned runs, with South Shore’s only run coming on a two-out error in the fourth inning.

By that time, Paseo Verde already led 3-0 after Erickson smacked a two-run double to left to cap a three-run third.

“That lead was nice,” Johnson said. “They came and got one of the runs back, but then we scored in the next inning to show them we were not going away.”

Paseo Verde added that bonus run in the fourth inning and put the game away in the fifth with five runs, highlighted by Dominic Laino’s two-run single to make it 9-1.

Erickson’s only scare came in the fifth when South Shore had two hits and some offensive momentum before Chase Curro was thrown out at home plate by left fielder Luke Lentz while trying to score from second base on a single by Dean Scarangello.

The rally fizzled, and South Shore left the inning empty-handed.

Johnson, whose team lost to Montana in the first round of the Mountain Region tournament, said it was nice to open with a win.

“One thing about this team is that these boys are able to take advantage of momentum because of all the hard work they’ve done,” he said.

South Shore, the Metro Region champion, next plays in a losers’ bracket game Saturday against Midwest Region champ Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Contact Jeff Wollard at jwollard@reviewjournal.com.