Hamilton West Side handily defeats Eaton

Team’s four homers lead to 17-3 win, setting up game with North Canton.

Korren Thompson (11) of Hamilton West Side shows a little emotion as he rounds third and heads for home, during the State Little League game against Eaton, Monday, July 25, 2011, at Englewood Little League Complex.

ENLARGE PHOTO

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By Skip Weaver, Staff Writer Updated 12:50 AM Tuesday, July 26, 2011

ENGLEWOOD — The Hamilton West Side 12U All-Stars exploded for 16 runs in two innings en route to a 17-3 five-inning, run-rule win over Eaton on Monday in the Little League State Tournament at Centennial Park in Englewood.

After notching a zero in the top of the first, Hamilton pounded Eaton starting pitcher Bradley Curry for seven runs in the second, all of them with two outs.

Jake Pennington started the offensive attack with a two-out, bases-loaded double to left-center field. He went to third on the throw home and then scored Hamilton’s fourth run on a single by Shawn Brandenburg.

“I was just trying to hit it to the gap and score some runs,” said Pennington, who finished the game 2-for-5 with two doubles, four RBIs and a run scored. “I wasn’t nervous. I’ve been in that situation before. I knew I just had to get a hit to help get us going.”

Hamilton coach Josh Sams said Pennington was the team catalyst.

“We go as he goes,” Sams said of his lead-off hitter. “He’s a great leader and a real competitor. Once he gets going, the rest of us fall in line.”

That certainly held true in the rest of Hamilton’s second inning. After Brandenburg’s RBI single, Korren Thompson slammed a 2-2 pitch over the left-field fence for a two-run home run. It was the first of four homers Hamilton would hit in the game. They added three more — one each by Austen Broshear, Vince Sanford and Alex Weller — in a nine-run fifth inning.

Curry, a hard-throwing lefty, threw just 20 pitches in Eaton’s win on Sunday night, a game that did not finish until after midnight because a long rain delay.

Also collecting multiple hits for Hamilton were Brandenburg, Thompson, Weller and Zach Evans.

Ryan Kellum earned the win for Hamilton. He threw four shutout innings, allowing just two hits and striking out four batters.

Eaton returns today to play Wheelersburg in the losers’ bracket, while Hamilton advances to face North Canton at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

“This is the one we’ve been waiting for,” Sams said of facing North Canton, who defeated Hamilton in the bottom of the seventh inning in the 11U state championship game last year.

“They are our biggest enemy,” Pennington said. “We’re looking forward to facing them again.”