x
Breaking News
More () »

All-encompassing guide to Peachtree City's run in the Little League World Series

On Monday, Peachtree City (Southeast) and Grosse Pointe, Mich. (Great Lakes) rallied from four-run deficits to stay alive in the World Series bracket.
Credit: Larry French

11Alive Sports offers a capsule breakdown of Peachtree City's ongoing pursuit of the Little League World Series title in iconic Williamsport, Pa., on the heels of the club's surreal comeback victory on Monday night.

The high-stakes matchup with Grosse Pointe, Mich. (suburb of Detroit) was originally set for Tuesday evening, but Mother Nature had other plans (postponed, due to heavy rain).

Consequently, the club representatives from the Southeast (Peachtree City) and Great Lakes (Grosse Pointe) will meet Wednesday afternoon, weather permitting.

RESULTS

8/17–West 2, Southeast (Peachtree City) 0 in extra innings

8/18–Southeast 3, Northwest 0

8/20–Southeast 7, Southwest 6 in extra innings

WHAT'S AT STAKE

Peachtree City and Grosse Pointe have been advancing through the World Series' so-called loser's bracket for a few days, meaning neither club can afford a defeat moving forward.

It also demonstrates how the kids have been able to flourish in tense situations, knowing there's essentially No Tomorrow with this tournament.

Which brings us to this: Wednesday's victor (3 p.m. EST on ESPN) will automatically advance to Thursday's quarterfinal round (entire LLWS field); and if Peachtree City prevails at that stage, they would reach the U.S. championship game on Saturday.

RELATED | Hello, Williamsport! Peachtree City advances to Little League World Series

IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING

Peachtree City serves as Georgia's first Williamsport representative since 2011 (Warner Robins).

In LLWS history, a Georgia-based team has reached the Williamsport stage seven times–including three world titles in the last 35 years (Marietta, 1983 ... Columbus, 2006 ... Warner Robins, 2007).

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Aug. 20, 2018 shall remain one of the red-letter days in Little League World Series history–at least for the preliminary stages.

On Monday afternoon, Grosse Pointe rallied from a late 4-0 deficit to produce a 5-4 walkoff win over the Midwest squad–with the losing club eliminated from the tournament.

A few hours later, on the same field, the Southeast team from Peachtree City pulled off a similarly stellar comeback victory, overcoming deficits of 4-0, 5-2 and 6-5 in the latter innings before walking away with a 7-6 triumph.

Speaking of which, did you see Jansen Kenty's game-tying homer in the sixth inning, with Peachtree City down to its final out?

(Note: Regulation Little League games are only six innings.)

It currently stands as the most prolific highlight of this year's tournament (check out Kenty's dad going crazy in the stands), and it may go down in Little League World Series lore, if the Georgia squad ends up reaching Saturday's U.S. title game or Sunday's international bout for all the marbles.

(The remaining teams on the international side of the bracket: Japan, Asia-Pacific, Caribbean, Canada.)

Before Kenty could even cross home plate for the tying run, it was a mob scene like no other in baseball–and it wasn't even the winning run.

From pondering moments like this, it's easy to see why the LLWS games get plenty of national exposure, throughout the day and during the prime-time TV hours.

TV's Wide World of Sports made a cottage industry of this classic event in the 1970s and 1980s.

PEACHTREE CITY: PLAYERS TO WATCH

1B JANSEN KENTY

**Tuesday's hero in the final regulation inning (game-tying homer)

**World Series numbers: Hitting–1 HR, 1 run, 2 RBI, .400 batting ... Pitching–0.00 ERA, 12 strikeouts over 5.1 innings

C CHASE FRALICK

**World Series numbers: 1 RBI, 2 runs, .308 batting

SS TAI PEETE

**World Series: Hitting–1 RBI, 2 runs, .417 batting ... Pitching–0.00 ERA, seven strikeouts over 4.0 innings

P CONNOR RIGGS-SOPER

**World Series: 1.74 ERA, 11 strikeouts over 10.1 innings

P BEN TRAXLER

**World Series: 3.18 ERA, nine strikeouts over 5.2 innings

ON A PERSONAL NOTE

As a Detroit native and longtime Atlanta resident, I couldn't have asked for a better matchup in Williamsport, pitting Michigan versus Georgia.

Both teams are eminently likable, and they've already proven to be unflappable in pressure situations.

That's an odd thing for a grown adult to write, since we're typically the ones classically trained in handling stressful situations; but it's true, the young stars make for great theater.

In fact, if you get a chance to study these kids on Wednesday, feel free to marvel in their uncanny ability for playing with white-hot intensity in the moment ... and then forgetting about the result–win or lose–roughly 10 minutes after everything has concluded.

By then, the kids' greatest priorities, as happy-go-lucky pre-teens, involve running around with friends ... or getting ice cream.

Before You Leave, Check This Out