Recap of Team Canada’s Games at 2009 Little League World Series

So close for Hastings kids

Lose 2-1 to Mexico in extra innings

By Terry Bell, The Province; With file from Stuart Hunter - August 23, 2009

Canada's team, the Hastings Community all-stars, couldn't quite pull it off Saturday in its opener against Mexico at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

But they gave it one heckuva try.

Canada lost a 2-1 heartbreaker to Mexico in extra innings in its tournament opener. It was a

superbly played game by both sides.

Stellar defensively through the regulation six innings, the gloves finally double-crossed Canada

in the seventh. It was the only sign of trouble all day.

Mexico's Oscar Noguera led off by reaching first base on an infield error. He advanced on a wild

pitch and eventually scored from third when pitcher Anthony Cusati's throw to first on Mario

Cardenas's bunt sailed into right field. No one was covering first base.

"The guys played the game of their life and then to allow three errors in the last inning ... we've

never allowed three errors in a game this year," Hastings manager Vito Bordignon said by phone.

"It's a tough way to lose. We had chances to win that game in six innings and couldn't capitalize.

But they had chances too. Mexico's a good team.

"They'll bounce back," Bordignon said of his crew, which plays Taiwan today (TSN2, noon).

Hastings, which is making its first ever LLWS appearance, finishes its Pool D play on Tuesday

against Europe (TSN2, 11 a.m.), a team from the Ramstein U.S. military base in Germany. The

top two teams from the pool advance to the next round so Canada needs to beat Taiwan, a 16-0

winner in its opener against Germany.

"They [Taiwan] are perennial favourites but our guys will come out and battle. You never know

when you might catch a team on a bad day," said Bordignon.

"But these are the best teams in the world so there aren't many easy games."

Saturday's seventh-inning breakdown ended a tense, well-played game that both teams had

chances to win.

Cusati's towering 275-foot home run in the second inning gave Canada a 1-0 lead. That lead held

until the fourth when Mexico -- which lost to Hawaii in the LLWS final last year -- scored a run

on Jorge Caldonado's RBI double off Canadian starter Ryan Matsuda. Matsuda allowed nine hits,

walked just one and struck out four in five innings of work before giving the ball to Cusati.

Both teams had their chances to score before the seventh.

In the first inning Hastings leadoff hitter Ian Creamore reached third with none out but his mates

couldn't get him to home plate. The battlers from Hastings, who out-scored opponents 82-12 at

Canadian championships two weeks ago in Quebec, loaded the bases in the fifth but couldn't

score.

The Reynoso, Mexico squad had a big opportunity in the sixth but Canada's defence, which had

been remarkable all game, preserved it for extra innings.

With the bases loaded and one out, Cusati dove for a pop-up in the infield, made the catch, fell

and then got to his feet and fired a strike to second baseman Christian Cullen to double the

runner off second.

Cullen had pulled off a double play in the second inning, tagging the base runner Maldonado on

an infield chopper and then throwing to first to get Marcelo Martinez.

"This is the first game we've played here and we played hard and sound defensively," said

Bordignon. "We have to rebound from this.

"There were a lot of nervous kids to start the game, you could tell. The game got tighter and

tighter. If we had been able to open up and get two or three runs I think we would have just

coasted. But the other team is strong too."

Hastings dominated nationals Val d'Or, Que. But Williamsport is a different world. Canada has

never won this tournament.

So what do you tell a bunch of 11, 12 and 13-year-olds who've just lost a heartbreaker?

Bordignon had no trouble answering that one.

"You just tell them they played a great game," he said. "One of commentators here said it was

the best best defensive played game eve on the Williamsport field. I thought it as quite an honour

to hear him say that."

Canada drops Little League opener

Mexico beats Canada 2-1 in 7 innings at Little League World Series

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — The Associated Press Last updated on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009

11:00PM EDT

Oscar Noguera scored from third on a throwing error, and Mexico beat Canada 2-1 in seven innings

Saturday at the Little League World Series.

With runners on second and third and one out, Mario Cardenas bunted back to pitcher Anthony Cusati,

who fielded the ball cleanly but threw to first with nobody covering. The throw bounced into foul

territory, allowing Noguera to score easily and sending Reynosa, Mexico's fans into hysterics.

The game went to extra innings after Canada escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth with a double

play.

Cusati's homer to centre gave Canada a 1-0 lead in the second, and Jorge Maldonado spoiled Ryan

Matsuda's shutout bid with an RBI double in the fourth to tie the game at one.

Canada was represented by the Hastings Community all-stars from Vancouver's east side.

Hastings beat Ontario's Lasalle Turtle Club in the national championship to earn a spot at the

international tournament for kids aged 11-12.

Taipei sends Hastings tumbling to 0-2

East Van squad needs help from other teams to advance at Little League World Series

By David Karp, Vancouver SunAugust 24, 2009

The Hastings Little League All-Stars couldn't hold off the juggernaut from Chinese Taipei at the

Little League World Series on Sunday.

Hastings, from the east side of Vancouver, lost 8-0 to the Kuei-Shan Little League team from

Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei at the baseball tournament for 11-, 12- and 13-year-olds. Hastings now

sits at 0-2 for the tournament, after losing its opening match against Mexico 2-1 in extra innings

on Saturday.

With that record, it's very unlikely that Hastings will advance to the knockout stage of the

tournament. However, if Mexico loses its two remaining matches and Hastings wins its next

game, Hastings would advance to the knockout round of the tournament if it allows fewer runs

per inning than both Germany and Mexico.

"I guess we have an outside chance -- I don't know how the mathematics works. But we

definitely need some help," said Hastings coach Jeff Matsuda.

But despite the losses, the Hastings kids are thoroughly enjoying their first World Series

appearance.

"They're having a great time," said Matsuda. "They're like rock stars. They are signing

autographs and girls are following them everywhere."

Hastings knew it would have its hands full with the Chinese Taipei team, which easily

dispatched the Germans 16-0 in their opening match on Friday before the mercy rule ended the

game after four innings.

But Hastings managed to last the full six innings against the Chinese Taipei, holding their

opponents off the scoreboard through the first two innings.

"We weren't caught off guard," said Matsuda, who said Kuei-Shan was the best team Hastings

has ever played against.

After two scoreless innings, Chinese Taipei powered up in the bottom of the third, when Wen

Hua Sung connected on an offering from Hastings starting pitcher Matteo Vincelli and blasted a

two-run homer over the centre-field wall of Volunteer Stadium.

After that, the onslaught continued in front of 9,200 fans, in a game that was televised on TSN2,

ESPN and in bits and pieces on ABC.

Huang Yuan Lin added a solo home run for the Chinese Taipei in the bottom of the fourth before

Taz Burman was brought in to relieve Vincelli.

Burman gave up five runs in the fifth inning, including a two-run double to pinch hitter Hsin Han

Tseng.

"Usually, if you're a good hitting team -- which they are -- the second time you look at a pitcher,

you're going to start hitting the ball," said Matsuda, explaining why he made the pitching move.

"Really, Vincelli pitched a great game. He only had maybe two bad pitches, and they capitalized

on them."

Hastings managed just two hits -- a double from Vincelli and a triple from Ian Creamore -- off

the Chinese Taipei pitchers.

Hastings' final match of the round robin stage is Tuesday at 11 a.m. against Germany, and will

be televised on TSN2.

Hastings hits a high in final game

All-Stars overcome Germany's 11-run inning to eke out first World Series win

By Ian Walker, Vancouver SunAugust 26, 2009

Talk about drama.

With nothing more than pride on the line, the Hastings Little League all-stars beat Germany 14-

13 in their final game of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., on Tuesday.

Hastings led 10-2 at one point, but needed a four-run, sixth-inning rally to secure their lone win

in the prestigious tournament for 11- and 12-year-olds.

"Everyone's just ecstatic -- what a roller coaster of emotions," said Hastings coach Jeff Matsuda.

"I can't say enough about the resiliency of the kids. The mood was pretty low after giving up 11

runs in the fifth, but they never quit. We told them 'one hit at a time' and that's what they did. I'm

very proud of each and every one of them."

Trailing 13-12 with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth and final inning, Katie Reyes

stroked a two-run single into right field to cap the comeback in front of 6,240 fans at Volunteer

Stadium. Matthew Woo was just as instrumental in the victory, taking two straight balls to set the

stage for Reyes, who became just the 14th girl to take to the field in Little League World Series

history.

"I was excited," Reyes told reporters after the game. "I was shaking I was so nervous."

Reyes, who plays first base, also recorded the final out after a brilliant play by Christian Cullen.

Hastings' second baseman made a diving stop to his right before firing a strike from his knees to

end the game. It was only fitting, as Cullen had a ball go off his face during Europe's 11-run,

fifth-inning rally.

"What a play by Christian that was," said Matsuda. "That would have been the tying run if it got

by him."

Hastings entered the game knowing it had no chance of advancing to the next round of play.

Mexico's 13-0 win over Germany on Monday officially eliminated the Canadian representatives.

"Just getting here puts us on the map," said Matsuda. "I would imagine our registration will

double next year."

It was a remarkable run for Hastings, which had never won a Canadian title before this year. It

was the first Vancouver team to make it to the Little League World Series since Little Mountain

Little League did it in 1953.

Hastings opened the World Series with a 2-1 loss to Mexico and an 8-0 loss to Taiwan to finish

the tournament with a 1-2 record, good enough for third in Pool D.

Pitcher Ryan Matsuda recorded the win on Tuesday, retiring the final two batters after giving up

a one-out double in the bottom of the sixth. Matsuda replaced starting pitcher Anthony Cusati

one inning earlier, who gave up nine runs -- five of which were earned.

"That was tough to watch," said Jeff Matsuda, who had a front row seat for his son's worst

nightmare. "The players are a tight knit group so there was a lot of consoling on the bench."

Not that it matters now. By the time the younger Matsuda has kids of his own, all that will matter

is he got a win on little league baseball's biggest stage. There aren't many Canadian kids who can

say that.

Hastings back to washing dishes

Kids wrap up World Series with 14-13 win

By Terry Bell, The ProvinceAugust 26, 2009

The Hastings Community all-stars will take a lot of lasting memories from their first appearance

at the Little League World Series.

Anthony Cusati, Katie Reyes, Ryan Matsuda and the rest of B.C.'s "little team that could ... and

did" won a game Tuesday that the few who saw it are soon likely to forget.

The Vancouver team scored four times in a do-or-die sixth inning rally to beat Europe 14-13 and

finish the tournament with a 1-2 record. Europe is 0-3.

But that rally is just part of the story from Williamsport, Pa.

Leading 10-2, the 11-,12- and 13-year-old battlers from Hastings saw Europe -- represented by

Germany's Ramstein Air Force Base -- score 11 times in the fifth inning to take a 13-10 lead.

Incredibly, Hastings came back with four runs of their own -- two on a monster homer by Cusati

and two on Reyes's clutch, two-out single to right field that gave them back the lead.

"It was an amazing game," Reyes, 12, said in a phone interview. "I was surprised because we

came back. I don't think I've been in a game like that."

"I was just jumping for joy," she said of her game-winning hit, which fell just inches in front of

the right fielder's glove. "I was shaking [at bat]."

Reyes was a media darling at Williamsport. She did an ESPN pre-game interview and has been

grilled constantly by reporters since Hastings won the Canadians earlier this month in Quebec

and made her just the 14th girl to play at Williamsport.

"It's been amazing," her mom Rachel Reyes said. "There'll be a couple days more of this and

then she'll go back to her normal life. I'll have her in the kitchen washing dishes."

After the dishwasher-to-be's heroics, Ryan Matsuda, who'd relieved Cusati in that frightful fifth,

allowed a one-out double in the bottom of the sixth, but remained composed enough to get the

next two hitters and the win.

The game finally ended when gritty second baseman Christian Cullen moved to his right, caught

a grounder and threw out Tylour Daubert at first. Cullen had taken a ball off the cheek on a bad

hop grounder in the fifth.

Said Matsuda, 13: "We just needed those clutch hits at the end. It was fun. We learned never to

give up."

At 0-2, neither team had a chance of advancing. But that hardly mattered. They went at like

warriors.

Errors, walks, wild pitches and some timely hits helped Canada build the big lead. But Europe

chipped away and then, trailing 10-7, Chris Houba's grand slam finally rewarded their resilience

with an 11-10 lead. A two-run shot by Matt Zembraski built the lead to 13-10.

But Canada brought some rally caps too. Cullen walked to start the sixth. Matsuda flied out but

Cusati followed with the homer, his second of the game, to make it 13-12.

Matteo Vincelli then singled and was replaced by pinch runner Ryan Wong. Taz Burman singled

and both runners advanced a base on a passed ball.

Nicholas Carusi bunted but Wong was thrown out at the plate.

Matthew Woo walked to bring Reyes to the plate. She lined her third single of the day, scoring

Burman and Carusi for the 14-13 lead.

- Canadians have been opening their hearts to the Hastings Little Leaguers.

Now organizers for the kids baseball league are hoping somebody can open a wallet.

Hastings, which has just three teams in its 11-13 division, wants to build on the interest and

register more players. But Hastings has been trying unsuccessfully to raise about $200,000 to

address drainage issues at its home park near the PNE.

"We desperately want to grow," said Hastings Community Little League president Dave Jenkins

Jenkins. "We've seen the calibre [of team] that we can produce with limited numbers."

The league -- its website is www.hcll.ca -- deserves registration numbers as big as its heart.

The New York Times

LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES

Game-Winning Hit by 13-Year-Old Girl Could Be a First

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: August 25, 2009

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Katie Reyes hit a two-run single in the top of the sixth

to help Vancouver, British Columbia, rally for a wild 14-13 victory Tuesday over Ramstein Air

Force Base, Germany, in the Little League World Series. Katie Reyes had three hits and three

R.B.I. on Tuesday.

The Little League president, Stephen Keener, and other longtime tournament officials said they

could not recall a girl having the winning hit before in a World Series game.

“I was excited. I was shaking,” Reyes, 13, said about going to the plate for her big hit. She

finished with three hits and three runs batted in.

Playing first, Reyes also caught the last out. She joined her happy teammates jumping on the

mound after Canada won its last game of the series. Both teams had already been eliminated

entering Tuesday.

Canada rallied in the sixth, when Anthony Cusati hit his second homer of the game, a two-run

shot that cut the deficit to 13-12. After loading the bases, Reyes drove in the winning runs.

Fifteen girls have played in the Series since 1984, when Victoria Roche of Belgium became the

first in the event.

Cyber buzz sweeps up Hastings' Reyes

Girl's winning swing triggers web frenzy

Vancouver SunAugust 27, 2009

Forget Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Michelle Wie and Danica Patrick. For one day, at

least, the cyber darling of the sports world was a 13-year-old girl from East Vancouver.

Katie Reyes made headlines on Tuesday when she hit the game-winning, two-RBI single for

Hastings Little League in a 14-13 win over Germany at the Little League World Series in

Williamsport, Pa.

"For those folks who didn't know that girls can play in the Little League World Series, here's

another revelation that might come as bit of a shock. The ladies can win games for their teams,

too," wrote Kevin Kaduk on the Yahoo! Sports blog Big League Stew. "Youth baseball has a

new leading lady."

The story was the most "buzzed" entry on Yahoo! Sports for part of Wednesday afternoon.

Reyes could be found in sports sections and on websites throughout the U.S., including the New

York Times and ESPN.com, which posted video of her winning hit.

Reyes, 13, wasn't the first girl to play in the World Series. Since 1984, 15 girls have taken part,

including another this year: Bryn Stonehouse of Saudi Arabia. The two were roommates in

Williamsport. But Little League officials say they can't recall another girl logging a game-

winning hit. Reyes, who also made the final out at first base, was 3-for-4 with three RBI in

Tuesday's game.

Said Reyes: "I was excited. I was shaking."

Those who've met her weren't surprised by her heroics. "She's a hard-working person who

always tries her best," teammate Ryan Wong said.

Canada team host Frank Lupacchino was asked by a Williamsport TV station how Reyes

compares with the boys. "She can beat most of them in arm wrestling, so she intimidates some of

them I think. They back away from her."

Wed Aug 26, 2009 10:30 am EDT – Yahoo blogs

Katie Reyes becomes first girl gamewinner at Little League WS

By 'Duk

For those folks who didn't know that girls can play in the Little League World Series, here's

another revelation that might come as bit of a shock.

The ladies can win games for their teams, too.

In what tournament organizers said was most likely a LLWS first, Katie Reyes hit a game-

winning two-RBI single in Canada's 14-13 win over Germany on Tuesday afternoon in

Williamsport, Pa.

Fifteen girls have played in the LLWS since 1984, but apparently none had logged the game's

top highlight until Reyes had three hits and three RBIs on Tuesday. She also caught the game's

final out at first base.

Move over, Amanda Whurlitzer.

Youth baseball has a new leading lady.

"I was excited. I was shaking," the quiet, 13-year-old girl told the Associated Press.

Reyes wasn't the only girl to make the trip to this year's LLWS. Bryn Stonehouse of Saudi

Arabia also participated in the games and the two girls teamed up as roommates.

The last time that two girls were in the LLWS was 2004. For a few more facts about girls

reaching the biggest stage in Little League, continue below ...

• Reyes began playing baseball about six years ago after watching her brother and she's never

played softball. She hit a game-winning home run in the British Columbia provincial

championships earlier this summer.

• Reyes' team from "hardscrabble streets of Vancouver's east side" made national headlines in

Canada, partly because traditional Canadian Little League powers come from what the Globe

and Mail describes as "leafier locations."

• As you might be able to tell by her name, Stonehouse isn't a native Saudi Arabian. She was

born in Texas and moved to the Middle East with her family four years ago.

• Kathryn Johnston is generally regarded as the first girl to play Little League baseball. Back in

1950, she tucked her hair under her hat, adopted the nickname "Tubby" and joined the Kings

Dairy Little League team in Corning, N.Y.

• In 1984, Belgium's Victoria Roche became the first girl to play in the LLWS.

• Sadly, Reyes and Stonehouse are done with their history-making turns in Williamsport. Both

Canada and Saudi Arabia were eliminated during pool play and are headed home.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Game 3: Canada vs. Europe

The flair for the dramatic that Hastings showed in their first

game took on heroic proportions as they tried to finish their

tournament with a win against the team from Germany. Things

started well as they built a 3 - 0 lead on the strength of Anthony

Cusati's hitting. Hastings continued their solid play and by the

middle of the fifth inning held a 10 - 2 edge. In the bottom of the

inning, though, Europe found their bats and the wheels came off

for Canada. The German team scored 11 runs to take a 3 run

lead into the sixth. Hastings got their focus back and thanks to

Anthony's second homer of the game and third of the

tournament, they trailed 13 - 12. With two out and two on

Matthew Woo worked to walk the bases loaded, bringing up

Katie Reyes. With her third hit of the game, she stroked a low

pitch to right field to drive in the tying and go-ahead runs. There

was still some work to do in the bottom of the inning to preserve

the lead. But with a runner on second base, Christian Cullen,

who had earlier taken a bad hop grounder in the face, made a

diving stop and a throw to Katie at first from his knees to record

the final out of a wild game - and a win for Canada.

Final Score: Canada 14 Europe 13

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Game 2: Canada vs. Chinese Taipei

As in their first game, great pitching and solid defense held

Canada in against another world power for four innings. Starter

Matteo Vincelli started nervously but struck out the side after

loading the bases in the first inning. But the powerful Asia-

Pacific reps wouldn't be denied as two homers gave them all the

runs they needed. They poured it on in the fifth while Hastings

couldn't solve Taipei's pitchers. Canada managed just two hits,

including Ian Creamore's exciting triple in the sixth. Overall,

another fine performance from a team that surprised with their

tenacity and solid play against one that must be considered a

tournament favourite.

Final Score: Canada 0 Chinese Taipei 8

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Game 1: Canada vs. Mexico

The opening game for these two Group D teams was one to

remember. It started as a pitching duel between Mexico's hard

throwing Raymundo Berrones and Hastings' ace Ryan Matsuda

and featured solid Canadian defense and a massive home run by

Anthony Cusati that gave Hastings the lead until the fourth

inning. Mexico's strong bats finally produced the tying run but a

great team play prevented more scoring. Hastings' strong

defense sent the game to extra innings with a diving catch, again

by Anthony, that resulted in a double play. Mexico kept after it,

though, and won it in the seventh when a dribbler handcuffed

Team Canada and the winning run came home.

Final score: Canada 1 Mexico 2 (7 innings)

It was a dramatic and spectacular game to watch and appreciate

by any baseball standards and the Hastings All Stars proved

they deserve a place among the best teams in the world. Hats off

to the team for a stellar showing against one of the International

pool's strongest teams.