There's 5,000 miles between Fairfield, Connecticut and Honolulu, Hawaii. The gap is much, much smaller on the baseball field as their representatives in the Little League World Series proved Friday.
A decisive fifth-inning rally gave the Fairfield National All-Stars a winning edge.
Metro Region representative Fairfield National used three walks, a hit batter, a crucial error, and two hits — capped by a two-run single by Luca Pellegrini — to erase a one-run deficit and defeat West representative Honolulu 5-1 to improve to 2-0 in Series play in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
"I told them it was all grit, all courage," Fairfield National manager Brian Palazzolo said in his team's postgame press conference. "We've played in big games and this was obviously the biggest game we've played. We've been battle tested. We've been able to keep our composure and grind them out and put a couple of runners on base."
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With the win, Connecticut's Fairfield National advances to the winners bracket semifinals Monday at 7 p.m. to take on Midwest Region representative Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Down 1-0 after being blanked on one hit by Honolulu starter Bronson Fermahin, Fairfield National rallied against closer Mason Mitani, who did not allow a hit in the West Region tournament.
"We've always preached that we like to score in big bunches," Palazzolo said. "I much rather it be in the top of the first inning. But we're never out of it. We have the capabilities of putting the ball in play, drawing huge walks and sticking around. We're never out of the game until the final out."
Center fielder Dante Madera walked to lead off the top of the fifth and advanced to third one out later on a single by Boden Dunlap. Mitani got the second out but walked Joe Sorrentino to load the bases and then Brian Palazzolo, the manager's son, on a 3-2 pitch to force in the tying run. Charlie McCullough's grounder to second base was misplayed to allow two runs to score and put Fairfield National in front. After Logan Gryga was hit by a pitch, Luca Pellegrini greeted reliever Logan Brokaw to plate two more runs and make it 5-1.
"Just an outside pitch and I was able to drive it to right field," Pellegrini said.
Tommy D'Amura, who relieved starting pitcher SJ Taxiltaridis to start the fourth inning, was the winning pitcher. Honolulu put two runners on with one out in the sixth before Pellegrini started a game-ending double play.
Honolulu will try to stay alive Sunday at 1 p.m. when it takes on the winner of Saturday's elimination game between Great Lakes Region representative Clarendon Hills, Illinois and Mid-Atlantic Region representative Glenmoore Eagle Little League of Upper Uwchlan Township, Pennsylvania.
Fairfield National, which was playing two days after opening up with a 1-0 win over Southwest Region representative Lamar Little League of Texas, used its pitching and defense to stay in it early,
Honolulu threatened in the top of the first as Brokaw led off with a double and took third on a wild pitch. But Taxiltaridis struck out the next two batters and got Fermahin to fly out to center fielder Madera to get out of trouble.
Taxiltaridis hit back-to-back hitters with two outs in the second but fanned Mitani to strand the runners.
Honolulu broke through in the third as with two outs and two on, Josh Tanaka's hit to the left-center field gap plated one run but a relay from Madera to first baseman D'Amura to catcher Jimmy Taxiltaridis was in time to get runner Keali'i Maunakea-Kalahiki.
D'Amura gave up three straight one-out singles but a second relay started by Madera ended with Taxiltaridis tagging out Fermahin at the plate. A walk loaded the bases but D'Amura got Shane Bunag on a soft liner to the mound to keep it 1-0.
Fairfield National's one big inning was enough.
"Defense is always fun when you make the plays and have a good time in the field," D'Amura said.
"It's cool how we can stay in the game even when we're down," he added. "We've always been a winning team. We know what we can do and that was come back and get the win."
Fermahin allowed one hit on the mound for Honolulu. He walked three and struck out eight.
The win was the first in three tries for the Connecticut representative against Hawaii in the World Series. In 2021, Honolulu defeated Manchester.
"We're playing on Monday," manager Palazzolo said. "And it's a real good feeling right now."
Little League World Series
at Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Fairfield National 5, Honolulu, Hawaii 1
Fairfield National 000 050 — 5 4 0Honolulu 001 000 — 1 5 1
Batteries: CT - SJ Taxiltaridis, Tommy D'Amura (4, W) and Jimmy Taxiltaridis; HI - Bronson Fermahin, Mason Mitani (5, L), Logan Brokaw (5) and Shane Bunag.