Teams survive by going deep at LLWS

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Faced with elimination, the boys from Mill Creek, Wash., and Tampa, Fla., turned to the long ball to stay alive in the Little League World Series.

For Washington, four players hit homers – including two from left-handed slugger Alec Kisena – in a 16-hit attack that overpowered Hagerstown, Md., 15-5.

A loss would have dropped Washington to 0-2, shutting the team out of the next round. Now, Washington still has a chance to advance – as long as it wins its last pool-play game today.

On Monday, the players were just relieved – so much so that one of their biggest concerns was retrieving some of their home run balls. Only Kisena found one from one of his two shots, and he was still holding it tight in his left hand minutes after the game ended.

The team hoped fans with the souvenirs would be willing to part with them in exchange for collectible pins.

“Somebody’s got them. We’ll do some trading,” Washington manager Scott Mahlum said.

Home runs were in vogue all day.

Matamoros, Mexico, hit four in a 10-0 shutout of Yona, Guam; Keelen Obadoza’s two-run homer in the fifth broke a tie to help Waipahu, Hawaii, beat Rapid City, S.D., 6-4; and Willemstad, Curacao, smacked four homers in a 14-1 win over Emilia, Italy.

The nightcap featured an elimination game between Tampa, Fla., and Shelton, Conn., and Florida rallied late for an 8-2 win in seven innings to advance to the U.S. semifinals.

Both Mexico and Hawaii have clinced berths into the next round.