Mill Creek advances to Little League World Series

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.

Clinging to a 2-1 advantage over Oregon in the fourth inning, Mill Creek’s Derrick Mahlum fouled off pitch after pitch. Finally, he found one he liked.

Mahlum connected on a three-run home run and just like that Mill Creek was on its way to the Little League World Series.

Mill Creek starting pitcher Jason Todd struck out ten batters in a complete game, Alec Kisena added a grand slam in the sixth inning and Mill Creek completed its romp through the Northwest Regional on Aug. 9, defeating Beaverton, Oregon’s Murrayhill team 10-1 in the Regional championship.

Now Mill Creek moves on to the Little League World Series, which kicks off Aug. 16 in Williamsport, Pa. Mill Creek’s first game is Saturday against the Southwest champion, Lake Charles, Louisiana, at Lamade Stadium.

Mill Creek’s pitching was dominant Saturday, as it has been during a tournament that, at times, appeared to be less of a challenge for Mill Creek and more of a coronation.

Todd pitched a complete game, surrendering five hits and one earned run without allowing a walk.

This against a Murrayhill team that came into Saturday’s championship averaging three home runs per game.

In six Northwest Regional games, Mill Creek pitchers surrendered one walk total. Mill Creek went 6-0 in the Regional, scoring 80 runs while surrendering just 8.

Murrayhill was led by Connor Shaw, who hit a solo home run in the second inning to produce Oregon’s lone run.

Despite producing very little offensively, Murrayhill kept it close early.

After Mill Creek’s Mahlum drew a walk in the first inning and scored on a wild pitch, Shaw answered in the second with his one-run homer to tie the score at 1-1.

Mill Creek picked up a slim 2-1 lead when Joakim Soderquist hit an RBI triple in the third, but nothing seemed certain.

Things started to fall apart for Oregon in the fourth.

Mahlum fouled off multiple pitches, then connected on a three-run shot to left field to make it a four-run advantage.

Alek Baumgartner then hit an RBI single the following inning, and Kisena’s grand slam in the sixth scored Todd, Soderquist, and Alex Jondal, and removed any doubt about which team would be advancing to the Little League World Series.