Richmond cashes in, advances to semifinal

By David Graham-Caso
Special Correspondent

Wilmington, DE and Richmond, TX played Game 22 of the 2003 Little League World Series Tuesday afternoon with a berth in the single-elimination round on the line. In all reality, the single-elimination round had already snuck up on both teams.

Each team had compiled a 1-1 record, and with only one spot left in Thursday’s semi-final, Tuesday’s game was just like the single elimination round: win and you advance, lose and you go home.

Texas advanced; Delaware went home. The 7-1 Texas victory at the hands of a seven-run fourth inning filled the last spot in the U.S. semi-final match-ups.

The pressure of the game only fueled the players. Delaware first-baseman David Mastro led off the game by crushing a Robert Psenka 0-2 offering deep and over the right field fence.

“He surprised me,” Psenka said. “I threw the ball real low, so when he hit it, I did not think that is was going to go out.

“After that I calmed myself down. I had given up a home run before and lost it, so we lost the game, so I calmed down so that would not happen again.”

The large Delaware contingent in the stands erupted as Mastro’s homer sailed over the wall.

A large part of the 13,125 on hand at Lamade stadium were sporting Delaware red.

“We got a lot of support,” said Delaware manager Joe Mascelli. “We really appreciate the support we have been getting from everybody.”

Richmond struggled to get a hold of any Kip Skibicki pitches through the first three innings. The fourth frame, however, was a different story.

Psenka got things going for Texas by ripping a leadoff double into the leftfield corner. Psenka then came across on a single by Brian Foster. The tying run would not be the last for Texas in the fourth.

Eleven batters came to the plate for Richmond in the fourth, slugging seven base hits and plating seven runs.

“We just got used to where he was throwing the ball and how hard he was throwing,” Psenka said. “We just adjusted.”

The rally buried Delaware under a six run deficit. The lead was more than enough for the confident Psenka, who finished the game allowing only one run on four hits.

“I knew when we got that lead that we were going to win,” Psenka said. “I was 100 percent sure that I was not going to give up anymore runs and we were going to win the game.”

“The team needed Robert,” said Richmond manager Jim Michalek. “And Robert came through for us.”

Richmond next faces the first-place finisher from Pool A, Saugus, MA, in the U.S. semi-final Thursday at 7 p.m.

“We are excited,” said Brian Foster. “Because now we get to play more baseball.”