Bernard goes yard… a record three times

By David Graham-Caso
Special Correspondent

The West Champions out of Chandler, AZ are ready for the single elimination round.

Coming into Tuesday’s primetime match-up with Eldridge, IA, the Chandler team was undefeated and assured first place in Pool B play. That is not to say that they changed their aggressive style of play against Iowa. Cory Bernard, in fact, stepped it up a notch.

Bernard homered a Little League World Series record three times, once to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth, in Chandler’s 8-7 come-from-behind victory over Iowa.

“It is great being part of history,” he said. “I just wanted to get here, to be able to do that is really great.”

Chandler did not lead until Iowa pitcher Michael Cranson beaned Bernard with the bases full in the bottom of the seventh inning to end the game.

The first batter of the game, centerfielder Elliot Schlabach immediately got Iowa on the board. After taking a foul ball off the thigh, the lefty drove a 0-2 pitch 246 feet to the opposite field, putting Iowa up 1-0.

Iowa was not yet done with Arizona starter Tim Fowler. Fowler surrendered five hits in the first inning, facing a total of 11 Eldridge batters. Iowa’s five-run inning was attributable to three consecutive RBI singles from the middle of the order.

Blake Anderson drove in Greg Daniels with a seeing-eye single with one out before an infield single by Cody Ashby knocked in Matt Peterson. Cranson was next at the plate, and he, too, followed suit. Cranson hammered a Fowler fastball over the head of centerfielder Trever Benjamin for yet another RBI single.

Fowler escaped the inning by striking out Schlabach and nabbing a Daniels liner.

“That is the toughest inning that we have faced as a team,” said Chandler Manager Eddie Malone.

The bottom of the first inning also contained an offensive spectacle. With a man on first, Bernard crushed a Petersen pitch 210-feet, over the centerfield fence to bring Arizona to within three runs.

“I was not that impressed with Cory tonight,” Malone said. “I know what these kids can do.”

The first inning ended with an Aaron Hardenburg groundout, only 40 minutes after the first pitch of the inning was thrown.

The West got three more runs back in their half of the second. With one out, Justin Rosales knocked a two-run shot to center. Two batters later Bernard sent a screaming line drive over the center field fence. Bernard’s second round-tripper in as many at-bats tied the game at 5-5.

“I didn’t panic when we went down,” Malone said. “I just watched how we reacted, and I was pleased with how we battled back.”

The score stayed deadlocked until the fourth. Schlabach slid into home safely, darting home on a passed ball, and Petersen added another run with a RBI double to center.

West came inches away from its sixth run in the bottom of the fourth. Bernard was on third when Petersen threw a ball in the dirt, which hopped by catcher Benjamin. Bernard broke for home, but Benjamin flipped the ball to Petersen, who was able to get his glove in front of the sliding Bernard. The out was the last of the fourth.

Arizona again threatened in the fifth inning, loading the bases with no outs. Petersen again eluded catastrophe. The Iowa ace struck out back-to-back batters and then induced Justin Rosales to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

The West finally capitalized on a chance to tie the game in their potential final at bat. It was Bernard one more time, coming through for his club with yet another blast, this one a two-run dinger that evened the score at 7-7 and sent the game into extra frames.

“Bernard is a great player,” said Iowa manager Paul Tremmel. “He is a natural hitter.”

Bernard came up in the seventh with a chance to win the game for Arizona. With the bases full and the pressure mounting, Iowa pitcher Cranston beaned Bernard, forcing in the winning run.

Bernard’s three home runs are the most in one game by a single player since Tetsuya Furukawa hit three for Kashima, Japan in 1998. Chih Hsiang Lin also hit three in 1995 for Chinese Taipei, and Roger Miller belted three homeruns for Tuckhoe, VA in 1968.