Port Washington two wins from Little League World Series after taking first regional game
It was smooth sailing. Port Washington looked like naturals in the team’s first-ever Little League World Series regional game, as the New York State champs cruised to a 10-3 victory over Lincoln, R.I., at Leon J.Breen Field in Bristol, Conn., Saturday evening. The Long Island boys’ maiden voyage started hot at the top of the first inning as left fielder Carlo Cafferata doubled in a run and first baseman Max Dempsey brought home another on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice. Port loaded the bags again in the third against pitcher Tucker Choiniere.
Lincoln left fielder Jackson Lockhart was called to the mound to get out of the situation, but a warning-track-length single from third baseman Jack Gomez scored a pair and pushed the lead to 4-0. Center fielder Walter Cassens brought in another run by advancing on a bases-loaded error soon after, and catcher Michael Gabriel trotted to first on an RBI walk that stretched things to 6-0. Port pitcher Drew Theoharis threw two shutout innings but gave up an RBI double in the bottom of the third to Choiniere, who scored on a fielder’s choice that cut the lead to 6-2. Theoharis ended his productive three-inning, one-batter day with three strikeouts and one hit before Cafferata took over on the rubber. Second baseman Jackson Gorynski pushed the lead to 7-2 with an RBI double off Lincoln reliever Milo Sheridan in the fourth inning. Cafferata’s pitching was disrupted in the bottom of the fifth inning by a 75-minute lightning delay.He gave up a run on a wild pitch but kept control with runners on first and second with a huge inning-ending strikeout of Lockhart with two runners on. Port continued the hit parade into the final inning with shortstop Brandon Kien driving in two runs with a single.
He advanced to second on the play after a throwing error. Kien then scored from second on a wild pitch and errant throw to third to push the lead to 10-3. Gorynski came on to close in the sixth and worked himself out of a ba...