SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Mill Creek combined power and pitching to roll into the semifinals of the Little League Northwest Regional Wednesday with an 18-1 victory over Oregon.
Alex Kisena, making his first start in a couple of months, threw a two-hitter and five different Mill Creek batters hit home runs in the game, which was shortened to four innings by the mercy rule.
Mill Creek plays Montana in a 7:30 p.m. semifinal tonight. Oregon plays Wyoming at 4:30. The semifinal winners play Saturday for the championship. The game will be broadcast on a delayed basis at 9 p.m. on ESPN.
The tournament winner advances to the Little League World Series at Williamsport, Pa.
Mill Creek beat Montana 10-4 in an extra-inning game Sunday. It went into the sixth and final inning behind 4-1, but scored three runs to tie, then erupted for six runs in the seventh inning.
“That was our toughest game in the tournament,” Mill Creek manager Scott Mahlum said. “They actually had us up against the ropes.”
Against Oregon, Kisena allowed a solo home run as one of the two hits he yielded.
“Alex Kisena pitched a great game,” Mahlum said. “The defense was fantastic behind him.”
His teammates supported him with plenty of offense as well. Catcher Alex Jondal hit a three-run homer in the first inning to stake Kisena to a 4-0 lead. Mill Creek went on to score six runs in the second, three in the third and five in the fourth.
The Nos. 2 through 6 batters in the lineup — Derrick Mahlum, Jason Todd, Joakim Soderqvist, Jondal and Kisen — all hit home runs. Derrick Mahlum, who had a grand slam in the fourth inning, batted 4-for-4 with five RBI. Todd was 2-for-2 with three RBI. Soderqvist was 3-for-3 with two RBI. Jondal was 2-for-4 with five RBI. Kisena was 1-for-3 with a solo home run.
“Our bats finally heated up today,” Scott Mahlum said.
For streaming audio of today’s Little League games, click here.
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