Little League World Series Regionals 2015: Saturday Scores and Bracket Results
The road to the 2015 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, ended for four teams Saturday.
The Southeast and Southwest Regionals kicked off round-robin play Friday in Warner Robins, Georgia, and Waco, Texas, respectively, and will continue through the weekend. Each regional began with eight teams, and by next Thursday, a representative for the LLWS will be determined.
Nobody could earn a place in Williamsport on Saturday, but those teams that picked up their second win took a big step toward accomplishing that goal.
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Saturday Results
| Southeast | Bridgeport, West Virginia (1-1) | Wilson, North Carolina (0-2) | 3-1 |
| Southeast | Peachtree City, Georgia (1-1) | Phenix City, Alabama (0-2) | 10-0 |
| Southeast | Taylors, South Carolina (2-0) | Nashville, Tennessee (1-1) | 18-3 |
| Southeast | Tampa, Florida (2-0) | Mechanicsville, Virginia (1-1) | 8-4 |
| Southwest | River Ridge, Louisiana (1-1) | Tulsa, Oklahoma (0-2) | 13-1 |
| Southwest | Pine Bluff, Arkansas (1-1) | Albuquerque, New Mexico (0-2) | 9-4 |
Recap
No team looked more impressive Saturday than the group from Taylors, South Carolina, as it dropped 18 runs on its opponents from Nashville, Tennessee. The game was competitive through the first three innings, as Taylors hanged on to a 3-2 lead. Then it scored 15 runs across the fourth and fifth innings.
Braden Buffington had one of the better games you're bound to see all tournament. He went 2-for-4 at the plate, with five runs batted in and two runs scored. One of those hits was a grand slam, which came in a seven-run fifth inning.
As if his work at the plate wasn't enough, Buffington also pitched three innings, allowing one earned run on two hits and striking out four.
Peachtree City, Georgia, picked up another one of the more lopsided results from Saturday's play. It run-ruled Phenix City, Alabama, in a 10-0 victory. Most impressively, Peachtree City scored its 10 runs despite picking up just eight hits.
Natarious Smith and Nathan Kearns both homered in the victory. Smith's drive to center sparked a six-run fourth inning that put the game out of reach for good for Phenix City.
Peachtree City didn't need a ton of offense to pick up the win, not when Isaiah Lopez was dealing on the mound. Lopez threw 11 first-pitch strikes to the 14 batters he faced. He also got eight of the 14 opposing batters out on three pitchers or fewer.
Wilson, North Carolina, joined Phenix City as the other team eliminated from the Southeast Regional. Wilson lost 3-1 to Bridgeport, West Virginia, with Ryan Goff scattering six hits over 5.1 innings to stymie the Wilson offense.
Ultimately, Wilson was its own worst enemy, committing four errors throughout the game. You can't give the opposing team that many free baserunners at this stage and expect to win.
The teams representing South Carolina and Florida advanced to the semifinal, which is scheduled for Tuesday. The loser of that game will have another chance to reach Thursday's regional championship.
Meanwhile, Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia and Tennessee are all one loss away from elimination.
Over in the Southwest region, Tulsa, Oklahoma, became the first team eliminated following a 13-1 defeat to River Ridge, Louisiana.
Six different River Ridge players recorded an RBI in the victory, with Michael Curtis' three RBI leading the way. Curtis represents a strong contingent from the John Curtis School on the River Ridge team:
Blaine Starring's triple in the top of the second scored three runs to give River Ridge a 4-1 lead. Then, Curtis' two-run home run gave the group all the insurance it would need to see out the result.
Curtis was also one of three pitchers who combined to no-hit Tulsa. He went two innings, with Corey Johnson and Reggie Bergeron throwing an inning apiece.
Albuquerque, New Mexico, will also be packing its bags after falling 9-4 to Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
Pine Bluff got off to a hot start, scoring six runs through the first two innings.
Charles King's double opened the offensive in the first. Brady Claypool followed up with a three-run home run in the second, and Markevian Hence tacked on two more with a home run of his own.
Things got a bit dicey for Pine Bluff once Claypool entered the game in the fifth inning. He entered with a 9-0 lead, and by the time the inning was over, Albuquerque had trimmed the deficit to six runs, 9-3. The team couldn't keep the rally alive in the sixth inning.
Note: All stats are courtesy of GameChanger.
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