Torrance Little League falls to South Dakota in no-hitter, season still alive
The all-star team from the Torrance Little League was no-hit Wednesday in the Little League World Series, losing 1-0 to its counterpart from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, sending the squad to an elimination bracket game Thursday.
Sioux Falls left-hander Gavin Weir went the distance without giving up a hit, surrendering only a walk and striking out 14 batters in his six innings. Sioux Falls scored its lone run in the first inning and was held to three hits in the game.
It was the first loss in the tournament for Torrance.
If Torrance (2-1) wins its game Thursday against the team from Ohio, it will advance to Saturday's championship game of the Tom Seaver Bracket, which would be a rematch against South Dakota. The loser of Thursday's game will be eliminated.
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Torrance is seeking to become the first team from Los Angeles County to win the Little League World Series since 1963, when the all-star team from the Granada Hills National Little League won.
The Little League World Series is customarily divided into U.S. and international brackets.
With the tournament limited to U.S. teams this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, the two brackets were named for Seaver and Hank Aaron, Hall of Famers who died in 2020 and 2021.
Weir came into Wednesday's game red-hot, having pitched 5 2/3 innings of no-hit ball and striking out 15 in Friday's 2-0 victory over the Lafayette (Louisiana) Little League all stars before being replaced after he reached the 85-pitch limit.
Torrance had outscored its opponents 19-2 in its first two World Series games.
The Little League World Series is played at Volunteer Stadium in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
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