Kings going to Senior World Series

KAU Little League President John Tucker should promise his son Chris a lifetime supply of Big Macs, McNuggets, Quarter Pounders, whatever Chris wants, McDonald’s or something else.

KAU winning pitcher Andrew Jones
KAU winning pitcher Andrew Jones

The 92.9 “The Ticket” broadcast team from Bangor named a more-than deserving Tucker a “McDonald’s Player of the Game” after his bases-clearing triple in the top of the seventh inning paced the Eastern Regional Champion KAU Little League Kings to a 9-4 defeat of Western Champion Pearl City, Hawaii. The victory insured the Kennett 16-year-olds a spot in Saturday’s championship game against the winner of the second semifinal, Panama or Georgia. The World Series Championship will be broadcast on ESPNU at 2 p.m. and on ESPN 2 next week.

“Who has ever heard of Kennett Square or Unionville?” said Manager Todd Duerr. “When these kids were 12 years old [Duerr has coached the all-star team for several years], I could not have imagined them being in a World Series. Our coaching staff [Rob Jones, Mike Pechin, and Chris Jarmuz] has been working with these kids since December and they have taken every bit of advice they’ve been given and made every adjustment.”

Hawaii centerfielder Nicholas Au twice made two diving catches to prevent Tucker from knocking in insurance runs with two outs with the bases loaded. The third time was a charm for Tucker. In a decisive seventh inning, he simply hit the ball over Au’s head.

In the seventh, with two outs, Joe Zirolli, Tucker Reese, and Jake Freemen hit consecutive line drive singles to load the bases. Eric Takoushian reached base when Pearl City’s shortstop waited for the ball to take an extra bounce; instead, the baseball had other ideas. It found its way to leftfield and Zirolli and Reese scored to extend the USA East champs’ lead to 6-3. After a walk to Dan Garver, Pearl City reliever Dane Kenashiro and Tucker worked the at-bat to three balls, two-strikes. Tucker hit the ball slightly over Au’s head and the Kings took a 9-3 lead.

“I was mad at myself for making those outs with the bases loaded [in the first and third innings]. I tried not to think about. I was just happy, excited, nervous just to be in the lineup,” Tucker said.  Tucker had been had not been a regular in the batting order since the Pennsylvania State Tournament. But catcher Eric Duerr was out of the lineup with a concussion after a collision at home plate in the KAU-Panama game Thursday night. So the manager moved Garver into the designated hitter spot for replacement catcher Ryan Barrett and Tucker got the start in leftfield.

“Au is a phenomenal centerfielder,” said Todd Duerr. “I thought Chris’ hit in the seventh inning wasn’t it as far as it was because Au was drifting back in a comfortable gait. Next thing I know the ball was on the ground.”

The Eastern champion Kings followed a familiar script in the game: score early and score late. Hawaii had given up only two runs in four games in the tournament. The Kennett Square 16-year-olds batted through the lineup in the first inning, scoring four runs and forced Hawaii starting pitcher Trestan Nakamura from the game after just two-thirds of an inning. Au prevented the Kings from scoring more with a diving catch. With the bases loaded again in the third inning, it was déjà vu all over again as Au made another sliding catch of a Tucker line drive to centerfield.

The Hawaiians started a comeback in the fourth inning. With two Hawaiian runners on base and two out, the KAU infielders met with Duerr to discuss an intentional walk to Brandon Henderson. KAU starting pitcher Andrew Jones threw a wild pitch that flew over catcher Ryan Barrett’s head, allowing one run. Covering home, Jones could not handle Barrett’s return throw, resulting in Hawaii’s second run.

Colby Hirano of Pearl City used his speed after he led off the bottom of the fifth with a single to centerfield. He immediately stole second base. Off with the pitch to steal third as Matthew Tsutsomi grounded out to second base, Hirano continued on and stole a run as well to close the score to 4-3.

“I was more nervous today than I usually am in close games,” Duerr admitted, “but I knew Jonesy wasn’t giving up three runs with [Alex] Pechin behind him.’

Duerr said the team was anxious to see his son. “They were on pins and needles until they saw him around six o’clock Thursday night. The last time they saw him he was on a stretcher. ”

Eric Duerr, who is wearing a collar and taking other precautions to deal with his concussion, was in the dugout Friday. “I know his being there scared a lot of people and gave some more lots of nervousness, but it was important to the team that he was there.”

Todd Duerr said, “Eric’s injury put a lot of perspective on this experience. It’s not only about the game and about the boys being at the World Series. It’s about the sacrifices their families have made to be here. It’s about the thousands of people in Kennett Square and in Pennsylvania, and across the country watching them—especially the younger players at KAU. They need to realize what it means for other people to see them play in the World Series and to demonstrate behavior and sportsmanship that makes them worthy to be here.”

* KAU Communication Coordinator Mary Walter contributed to this story.

 

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