Little League World Series 2015: Picks for Remainder of Monday's LLWS Bracket
After a day of winners at the 2015 Little League World Series, the Grim Reaper will come for four teams in Monday's action.
Five games total, four of which include teams trying to stay alive, were on the docket in Williamsport. The Dominican Republic and Oregon started things off with the event's first of many consolation matchups, serving as a precursor to a day that will stretch long beyond sunset.
Australia and Mexico will each try to atone for losses at 2 p.m. ET, followed by Kentucky-South Carolina, Chinese Taipei-Uganda and Rhode Island-California to cap it all off. The job will be far from done for the teams that remain after Monday's action, as they'll have to face their fellow victors in another elimination game Tuesday.
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With that in mind, let's check in with a quick preview of all four games that count.
Australia vs. Mexico
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Network: ESPN
Mexico and Australia were both victims of international buzzsaws in their early matchups. Australia lost 5-2 to a Venezuela team that would go on to shut out Uganda in its second-round matchup. Mexico downed Canada in a 1-0 nail-biter in its opening matchup, but was sent to the loser's bracket by Japan—something said by nearly every other country at one point or another.
The Australians managed to stay alive with a 3-0 win over the Dominican Republic, and Monday's matchup is shaping up to be a pitcher's duel. The two teams have combined for seven total runs in their four Williamsport games, with Mexico only putting up two of those.
That is a far cry from Mexico's run through its region, which saw the offense put up 13 runs in a win over Conno Hermosillo to advance. Mexico is also playing with a bit of recent history on its side, having advanced to at least the international semifinal in each of the last four years.
Australia is still in the midst of building itself an international reputation. Since separating from the Asia-Pacific region, Australia has never gotten past Round 2. Don't be surprised if most side with history here and select Mexico for the win.
Score: Mexico 7, Australia 1
Kentucky vs. South Carolina
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Network: ESPN
South Carolina and Kentucky have had quite a different journey to their matchup. South Carolina opened looking like a buzzsaw, moving through Rhode Island with an easy 7-1 victory in its first matchup before losing in heartbreaking fashion to Pennsylvania on Sunday. After scoring four runs in the top of the sixth to pull ahead 8-6, South Carolina allowed three runs in the bottom half of the frame and moved to the loser's bracket.
Kentucky has had a much more mixed bag. Their first game in Williamsport was a four-inning thrashing at the hands of California, as they were run-ruled in a 14-2 rout. Pitching was again a problem during Kentucky's loser's bracket matchup with Oregon, but some timely hits allowed the Great Lakes team to earn a 7-5 victory.
Using past performances as a barometer, it's hard not to favor the South Carolina team. It's shown an ability to put runs on the board in both matchups and had no trouble dispatching Rhode Island, which will be in action in the nightcap.
Kentucky's pitching staff allowed five runs to an Oregon club that didn't manage a run in its first game against Texas. Anything is possible, but it would be a surprise to see South Carolina ousted this early.
Score: South Carolina 8, Kentucky 3
Chinese Taipei vs. Uganda
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Network: ESPN2
On paper, this is the biggest mismatch of the evening. Chinese Taipei was a victim of a bad draw having to face Japan in the first round; the two best international teams may have already gone head-to-head. It wasn't long before Chinese Taipei re-established its dominance with a 16-4 win over Canada in its first elimination game.
From a historical perspective, Chinese Taipei isn't to be messed with. It has 29 LLWS appearances and 17 titles overall. While the country is in a drought dating back to 1996, Uganda is totally anonymous on the LLWS stage by comparison.
The Europe and Africa Region representative sneaked by a Dominican Republic team that was two-and-out before getting totally shut down by Venezuela. This is the first time in history Uganda has so much as even made a trip to Williamsport.
By any measure, this is a David vs. Goliath situation. While it would be quite the story if Uganda managed to take out Chinese Taipei, we're more likely to see a game that ends before all six innings are complete.
Score: Chinese Taipei 13, Uganda 3 (F/5)
Rhode Island vs. California
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Network: ESPN2
California's second-round matchup against Texas proved to be a rude awakening. After thrashing through Kentucky with ease during the first round, California's bats were silent for a good portion of its matchup against Texas before finally coming through with a three-run sixth.
Texas' Ben Gottfried held California without an earned run in his 4.1 innings, with his only blemish being aided by an error. It'll be interesting to see whether Gottfried is just that good or California's early explosion was a mirage. They managed to get three runs on the board immediately after his departure and put a good scare into Texas before time ran out.
Rhode Island was blown out by South Carolina before looking strong against Missouri. It's hard to tell which side is a more accurate representation. On one hand, Missouri is the same team that was outscored 18-0 by Pennsylvania—not exactly something you'd like to put on the resume. On the other, a win against one of the eight best teams in the United States isn't something to sneeze at.
California's the obvious favorite here. No matter the city, it's usually a pretty good bet to pick California to make a deep run in the tournament. Still, this isn't going to be the blowout that some expect.
Score: California 7, Rhode Island 5
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