Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 29, 1993 TAG: 9308290176
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WILLIAMSPORT, PA. LENGTH: Medium
Pinch-hitter Jeremy Hess, batting .167 for the week, hit a bases-loaded, two-out single to right field in the bottom of the sixth inning Saturday, giving Long Beach, Calif., a 3-2 victory over Panama in the championship game of the Little League World Series.
"The way we won it was fairy tale-ish, if there is such a word," Long Beach manager Larry Lewis said. Hess was Long Beach's last reserve.
Long Beach became the first U.S. team to win consecutive titles. It was awarded last year's championship, 6-0, after a team from the Philippines was found to have used ineligible, overage players.
The Californians, who had lost last year's title game 15-4, loaded the bases in the sixth on a single by Timmy Lewis, a fielder's choice by Kevin Miller and singles by Chris Miller and Brent Kirkland.
The singles chased Panama starter Alex Beitia (1-1), who had a no-hitter through 4 2/3 innings.
Billy Gwinn, batting .143, worked the count to 3-2, but after stopping twice to wipe the sweat from his palms, struck out. Hess then hit Abel Navarro's 0-1 fastball to the gap between outfielders Jaime Saldana and Onesimo Morales.
"I watched the kid, I didn't know if he had a curve ball or not, but then he threw nothing but fastballs to Gwinn," Lewis said. "I said to [coach] Jeff [Burroughs], `I think Hess is our man.' He said, `Absolutely. Let's do it.' "
And Hess did, driving in Charlie Hayes, who ran for Kevin Miller.
Brady Werner (1-0) was the winning pitcher.
The last team to repeat as champion was Seoul, South Korea, in 1984 and 1985. The only Latin American team to win was Monterrey, Mexico, which claimed the title in 1957 and 1958. Panama had never been to a title game.
The power that Long Beach used to reach the final game wasn't evident Saturday. The Californians had no home runs - finishing the tournament with 13, and Sean Burroughs was 0-for-1 with two walks after hitting .600 for the week.
Beitia didn't throw Burroughs a ball in the strike zone.
"We didn't want Sean Burroughs to beat us," said Carlos Bouche, Panama's manager. "Long Beach was a team with good hitters, but we also knew they had a little bit of trouble with the curve ball and the fastball inside. At least they didn't hit a home run."
Burroughs reached across the plate and grounded to the pitcher in the first inning, then walked in the fourth and fifth.
"This ballclub is a lot more than a one-man baseball team," said Jeff Burroughs, Sean's father and a former American League Most Valuable Player with the Texas Rangers.
Long Beach tied the score at 2 in the fifth, with Alex DeFazio reaching on a two-out single to left. He advanced on a wild pitch and, after Burroughs walked, scored after Werner's single to center.
Saldana had trouble coming up with the ball and official scorer Mike Witherwax ruled that Saldana's bobble allowed DeFazio to score. Werner stumbled rounding first and was tagged out trying to get back to the bag, ending the inning with Burroughs on third.
Keywords:
BASEBALL
by CNB