Little League World Series: Hagerstown can't continue late-inning magic in loss to Tennessee

For a moment, the magic was still there for Hagerstown.

Four days after rallying in the sixth inning to walk off Davenport, Iowa, the Indiana Little League team was primed to do it again against Nolensville, Tennessee, when Nolan Cheeseman’s soft line drive landed in center field to again tie the score in Hagerstown’s last ups. The bases were loaded, no one was out. Three chances to bring home the winning run.

But Nolensville pitcher Jack Rhodes struck out the next two Hoosiers, and shortstop William Santioff kept the game knotted at two with a sprawling catch to snare Clark Thornburg’s line drive and end the inning.

Nolensville strung together a single, triple and groundout, along with a Hagerstown error, to score three in the top of the seventh and win 5-2. Hagerstown will play Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, in an elimination game Tuesday.

What's next, how to watch:Hagerstown, Indiana, is playing in the 2022 Little League World Series

Hagerstown struggled to get much of anything going against Nolensville starter Trent McNiel, who allowed two runs on two hits over five-plus innings and struck out eight. He walked one batter, Jaykob Troutwine to begin the game.

McNiel coming off the mound one batter into the sixth gave Hagerstown’s lethargic offense an opportunity. Caden Hall greeted Rhodes with a double to left field, setting up Cheeseman’s single.

Cheeseman also drove in Hagerstown’s first run of the game, laying down a bunt in the first inning to bring home Troutwine.

Pitching for Hagerstown, Hall matched McNiel pitch for pitch for much of the day, striking out 11 and allowing two runs three hits across his 4 1/3 innings of work. He exited after throwing 85 pitches, the maximum permitted in a game in Little League. Left-hander Heath Johnson relieved him in the fifth and pitched 2 1/3 innings before Troutwine finished.

Nolensville tied the score on a wild pitch in the fourth inning and took the lead in the fifth when Bo Daniel roped a double to left field to score Santioff, who was on base with his second hit of the evening. Daniel was cut down trying to steal third and Nolensville couldn't add on.

Nolensville improved to 2-0 in the World Series and awaits the winner of Honolulu, Hawai’i and Pearlman, Texas. The winner on the United States side of the bracket will face an international team in the finals.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: LLWS 2022: Hagerstown, Indiana loses to Nolensville, Tennessee