“That’s what I was hoping when we went up 8-0, but when they started chipping away, my thought then was ‘you win them one game at a time,” Coomer said.
Hamilton scored four in the fourth to go up 13-6, and Coomer could have pulled Morrison when he got to 65 pitches, making him available to go Wednesday. But again he decided against it.
“It ran across my mind,” Coomer said. “But I’m — I don’t know if you’d call it old-school or whatever you’d call it — but finish the game.”
Morrison reached the 85-pitch limit after 4 2/3 innings, meaning he can’t pitch again until Thursday.
Replay reversal
This is the first year for the extended replay system at the Little League World Series, and West Side coach Kenny Coomer used it to his advantage Saturday against Toms River.
With Toms River trailing just 9-6, West Side third baseman Garrett Hogan made a great stab on a ball and threw across the diamond to Tyler Hannah. The throw beat Jeff Ciervo to the base, but first base umpire Ken Garrison ruled Hannah pulled his foot and called Ciervo safe.
“I knew I didn’t pull my foot,” Hannah said. “(Coomer) asked me if I pulled it, and I said ‘no,’ so he challenged it.”
It took less than a minute to overturn the call.
“When we first heard about replay, I kind of didn’t like it,” Coomer said. “But they explained it pretty well ad once you get to this level, you want to get it right. And it benefitted us. I thought that was a pretty big out.”
Senator Heflin
West Side center fielder Cole Heflin and the rest of the players are having a blast with all the attention they’re getting from the young females at the World Series.
But Heflin said he has another reason for repeatedly cruising the crowds when West Side isn’t playing.
“We’re out here meeting people and trying to get them to root for the Great Lakes,” Heflin said, referring to the region West Side is representing. “We want to come back tomorrow and see everybody wearing Great Lakes stuff.”
Cut ups
West Side coach Kenny Coomer and players Jarod Morrison, Jake Jones and Brooks Robinson seemed to have a great time talking to the media after their 16-6 win against Toms River on Saturday.
They answered the serious questions and joked around with some of the lighter ones.
At the end of the press conference, Coomer told the media to ask the players what they were looking forward to most when the interview was over.
When none of the players spoke up, Coomer interjected, “chicks,” and drew a big laugh.
“Chicks who dig the long ball,” he continued. “I’ll go ahead and answer for them.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2193 or jmorrison@coxohio.com.
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