Webb City Little League falls to Wisconsin 5-2 in Midwest Regional
Aug. 4—It was too little, too late for the Webb City Little League team as it fell 5-2 to Shorewood, Wisconsin, in the first round of the Midwest Regional on Friday in Whitestown, Indiana.
The Wisconsin state champs got on the board first in the top of the third inning when Avi Santambrogio logged the first hit of the game with a one-out RBI double to deep center field that scored Wesley Strohbusch from second base.
After a Kam Newberry strikeout of Wisconsin's Evan Douros, Ben Tautges connected for a two-RBI single that plated Aaron Kleban and Santambrogio and gave the Shorewood team a 3-0 lead.
After holding Webb City scoreless in the bottom of the frame, Wisconsin extended its lead in the top of the fourth inning, when Mason Birkel hit a double down the center field line and scored Oliver Peltz.
Landon Johnson relieved Newberry on the mound and two hitters later, William Kowalski made it a 5-0 game with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center field that plated Ty Clark.
Owen Dupee loaded the bases again for Shorewood with a single to the right side of the infield, but key defensive stops by Webb City prevented more runners from crossing the plate as Strohbusch grounded into a force out at home and Webb City right fielder handled a Kleban fly ball to end the threat.
Newberry logged Webb City's first hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth when he connected for a one-out single down the third base line. Macoy Mayberry reached on a fielder's choice before power hitter Brody Jackson hit a triple to deep center that sent Mayberry home and Wisconsin centerfielder Alex Douros crashing into the center field wall.
Webb City held the Wisconsin lead at 5-1 in the top of the fifth inning that ended with catcher Brody Jackson handling a wild pitch off the backstop in which he gunned down Evan Douros on a steal attempt at second base.
That score held until the bottom of the sixth inning, when Finn Getz scored on a fielding error after reaching base earlier on a single up the middle. But that was as much as Webb City could muster. The team will now look toward to a 9 a.m. matchup Sunday against Pittsburg in a win-or-go-home scenario in the double-elimination tourney.
Webb City starter Kam Newberry gave up three earned runs and five hits while walking four and striking out one batter. Landon Johnson pitched two and a third innings, giving up one hit and a run while walking one and striking out one. Tyler Shull pitched two-thirds off an inning, giving up one hit.
