Louisiana plays their Hart out
 Jack
Hart and his Louisiana team knew their game against Lincoln, Rhode
Island didn’t mean much in the standings.
But that didn’t stop him or his team from finishing strong.
Hart tossed six
innings, giving up three runs on just two hits.
He also struck out 10 Rhode Island hitters and did not issue a
walk in Louisiana’s 5-2 victory over Rhode Island.
“I was just giving
it all I had,” Hart said. “I
just wanted to see how good I could do.
I’m just glad we made it here.”
“It was an
excellent performance,” added manager Ben Mount.
“He has been strong all tournament and he’s got really good
endurance. We told him to
leave it all here, it being his last Little League game.”
Louisiana finished
pool play with a record of 1-2. Rhode
Island dropped to 0-3. Heading
into the game, California and Indiana (the other two teams in the
pool) clinched Pool A’s only two spots in the semifinal round.
Thus, the teams were playing for pride.
“It’s been a
great experience for the kids,” Mount said.
“For me, I’ll never forget when the kids first arrived and
got to see the stadium for the first time.
“It’s been an
unbelievable experience. Everything
is first class. It would
have been nice to stay, but I think we are ready to go home.”
The game’s first
run came in the top half of the fourth inning.
Myrio Richard led off with a walk and went all the way to third
on a wild pitch during the next at-bat.
Two pitches later in the same at-bat, he scored on a passed
ball.
Three more runs came
across that inning via two wild pitches and a passed ball.
Lousiana ended the frame up 4-0.
Richard would score
again in the fifth to increase the Lousiana lead.
 The
insurance runs came into use when Rhode Island pulled to within three
in the bottom half of the fifth.
Shortstop Tom Coulombe had a two-RBI single to make the score
5-2. The base hit plated
Chris Randall and Josh Peloquin.
Rhode Island went
down in order in the sixth to end hopes of a possible comeback.
“We had our
opportunities so that’s all you can ask for,” said Rhode Island
manager Lou Abraham. “There’s
been one big inning that has got us in all three games.”
Abraham leaves
Williamsport a retired baseball coach.
“It hasn’t sunk
in that I won’t be back on the field every day,” he said.
“For the past 11 years it’s been great.
If I could write an ending to my story, (coaching in
Williamsport) would be it.”
And
for the players, playing at the Little League World Series isn’t a
bad way to go out as well.
- Mark Rogoff
Special Correspondent |
