SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Travis Daves and Wyatt Willis each hit a two-run home run to lead San Antonio past Chula Vista, Calif., 6-3 on Tuesday night at the Little League World Series.
Texas stayed undefeated and will play Staten Island, N.Y., in one U.S. semifinal tonight. California will play Warner Robins, Ga., in the other semifinal Thursday night.
Daves' home run followed a two-run triple by Drew Brooks to put Texas up 4-2.
California scored in the fourth before Willis' home run to straightaway center gave Texas a three-run lead. The 13-year-old outfielder stomped on third base in delight before getting high fives from teammates at home plate.
Kiki Garcia's two-run home run in the first had given California a 2-0 lead.
Reliever Kyle Pollard got two strikeouts over the last two innings for the save.
REYNOSA, MEXICO 3, TAOYUAN, TAIWAN 2
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Marcelo Martinez struck out 12, and Reynosa, Mexico, held off a late rally to stay undefeated with a victory over Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Mexico will play Japan in an international semifinal game today. Taiwan will play Curacao in the other semifinal Thursday.
Martinez didn't allow a hit but was lifted with two outs in the fifth after reaching his 85-pitch limit.
Taiwan broke up the no-hitter when Wen Hua Sung hit a home run off reliever Jorge Maldonado to open the bottom of the sixth. Taiwan got another run on two outfield errors on the same play, but reliever Raul Rojas struck out the final Taiwan hitter to earn the save.
PEABODY, MASS., 12, RUSSELLVILLE, KY., 3
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Austin Batchelor hit a home run and a double, scored 3 runs and drove in 2 runs, struck out 7 and allowed 5 hits in five innings as Peabody, Mass., used a nine-run third inning to beat Russellville, Ky.
Batchelor drove in a run in a third inning in which Massachusetts had seven hits and sent 12 batters to the plate.
Traverse Briana added two hits and scored two runs for Massachusetts.
Kentucky had its only lead of the game after Ian Woodall's RBI single drove in Matt Harper in the first.
VANCOUVER, B.C., 14, RAMSTEIN AFB, GERMANY, 13
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Katie Reyes had three hits and three RBI, including a key two-run single, as Vancouver, British Columbia, rallied after blowing an eight-run lead to beat Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany.
Chris Holba and Matt Zembraski each hit a home run during an 11-run fifth that put the team made up of children of U.S. soldiers or employees ahead 13-10.
Germany had not scored in its two previous games.
British Columbia rallied in the sixth, when Anthony Cusati hit his second home run of the game, a two-run shot that got Canada within 13-12. After British Columbia loaded the bases, Reyes drove in the winning runs.
DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA, 5, MARACAIBO, VENEZUELA, 3
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, scored five runs on just one hit during a sloppy first inning by Maracaibo, Venezuela, in a victory.
Reliever John Sheppard held Venezuela hitless the last three innings as Saudi Arabia won its first game. The team largely is made up of children of U.S. citizens living overseas.
With his team trailing 1-0, Cameron Durley had Saudi Arabia's sole hit with a two-run single in the bottom of the first. The team scored three more times on an error, a hit batter and a walk.
Venezuela also took advantage of errors, with Oberto Munoz scoring on a three-base error in the second and a wild pitch, and Mikey Edie scoring on an error in the third.
But Sheppard shut down Venezuela late. He had four strikeouts.
LLWS at a glance At Williamsport, Pa.
POOL PLAY TUESDAY'S GAMES Dhahran, Saudi Arabia 5, Maracaibo, Venezuela 3 Vancouver, British Columbia 14, Ramstein AFB, Germany 13 Peabody, Mass. 12, Russellville, Ky. 3 Reynosa, Mexico 3, Taoyuan, Taiwan 2 San Antonio 6, Chula Vista, Calif. 3 SEMIFINALS TODAY'S GAMES All times Central International Reynosa, Mexico vs. Chiba City, Japan, 3 p.m.
United States San Antonio vs. Staten Island, N.Y., 7 p.m.
Sports, Pages 23 on 08/26/2009