Pearl City Finds Right Formula, Beats Moorpark

SAN BERNARDINO — Pearl City, Hawaii, could not take the bat out of Erik Johnson’s hands, so instead not a single pitch was thrown near enough for the Moorpark slugger to hit had he been gripping a light standard.

Pearl City’s pearl of wisdom was to walk Johnson intentionally all four times he batted in the winner’s bracket final of the Western Regional.

After a tortuous eight innings, the strategy paid off and enabled Pearl City to walk to within one victory of the Little League World Series.

A line drive by Tyler Perkins that landed barely inside the left-field line scored Brandon Wythes and gave Pearl City a 6-5 victory. The hit spoiled a masterful pitching performance in relief by left-hander Beto Macias, who allowed only the winning run in 6 1/3 innings.

It also made moot a dramatic home run by Moorpark’s Michael Lopez that tied the score with two out in the sixth and forced extra innings.

Moorpark (15-3, 3-1 in the regional) will play Wyoming today at 5 p.m.

Each walk to Johnson was greeted with lusty boos from most of the 6,450. The Moorpark center fielder, who has hit three home runs in the regional and 23 in the regular season and tournament play, scored only in the first inning.

The first was the most eventful because neither starting pitcher was effective.

Pearl City’s Brandon Yamamoto, the only 11-year-old on the team, retired only one of five batters he faced. All four runners eventually scored, with Justin Pizzola, Matt Davenport and Tommy Gunn banging run-scoring singles.

Pearl City came up with three runs in the bottom of the first, however, two on a home run by Chaz Aranita. A line-drive, two-run homer with one out in the second by Perkins chased Pizzola and gave Pearl City a 5-4 lead.

Michael Scheidt of Pearl City and Macias settled into a pitcher’s duel, neither allowing a run until Lopez’s home run.

Scheidt ran into trouble in the fourth, but struck out Macias to leave the bases loaded after walking Johnson.

Perkins shut out Moorpark over the last 2 1/3 innings for the victory.

Pearl City 6, Moorpark 5

Moorpark: 400 001 00 -- 5 9 1

Pearl City: 320 000 01 -- 6 8 1

Pizzola, Macias (2) and Pabers. Yamamoto, Scheidt (2), Perkins (6) and Agustin.

W--Perkins. L--Macias.

HR:PC--Aranita, Perkins. MP--Lopez.

Records: Moorpark 15-3, 3-1 in regional play; Pearl City 10-0, 3-0.