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Goodlettsville Little League advances to Southeast Regional championship game

Goodlettsville Little League advances to Southeast Regional championship game

A big hit at the beginning and an even bigger hit at the end helped Goodlettsville Little League to an 11-6 extra-inning victory over Georgia in a Southeastern Regional tournament elimination game Monday afternoon in Warner Robins, Ga.

Goodlettsville completed its comeback by scoring five points in the top of the seventh after falling behind by four in the second half.

Goodlettsville advances to the regional championship on Tuesday (2 p.m. CT, ESPN) against Florida, a team it lost to 8-1 on Sunday. The winner will advance to the Little League World Series, which begins Aug. 14 in South Williamsport, Pa.

Jayden Lee singled to right field and Mason Eakes walked to start the seventh inning, chasing Andrew Smart, son of Georgia football coach Kirby Smart, off the mound after 3 2/3 innings. Lee scored on Jackson White’s see-eye single. Preston Pacurar’s double scored Eakes and White, Luke West scored on a sacrifice fly and Pacurar completed the scoring by scoring on Ace Eschenburg’s single.

Armando de Dios allowed three hits, no runs scored and had five strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings of work to give Goodlettsville the win.

How did Goodlettsville start the game?

Goodlettsville scored two runs in the top of the first inning and three in the fifth.

The Tennessee state champions loaded the bases with one out in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Johnny Cuthill reached on an error and advanced to second on Easton Spain’s sacrifice bunt. Eschenburg followed with a double and de Dios reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Cuthill.

De Dios scored on Tyler Campbell’s single to center field, but another fielder’s choice, Jeremiah Paye, was thrown out at home plate after being caught in the rush.

Georgia responded with two points at the end of the first half.

Georgia broke the game open by scoring four points at the end of the second period, with Goodlettsville pitchers striking out four batters in that period.

Pacurar’s two-out, two-out triple on a 1-2 count in the third inning cut Goodlettsville’s deficit to 1. Pacurar scored the tying run on a passed ball in the next inning.

Goodlettsville had runners on first and second base with one out in the sixth inning but could not score. That inning ended when Tyler Campbell singled to center field but Spain was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second base.

How did Goodlettsville Little League reach the Southeast Regional playoff game?

Goodlettsville beat Alabama 19-3 on Thursday in the tournament opener, beat Virginia 11-2 on Friday and lost to Florida 8-1 on Sunday.

Goodlettsville scored nine runs in the fifth inning against Alabama. Goodlettsville finished the game with 17 hits, including three each from Paye and Eschenburg and four from Campbell.

Another nine-inning inning Friday helped Goodlettsville to victory in its second game. Eschenburg hit a home run in that inning. Cuthill had two hits to lead Goodlettsville and had two more in Sunday’s loss.

Goodlettsville’s Tennessee state championship capped a three-year run for Nolensville Little League that included three trips to the Little League World Series.

Has Goodlettsville been to the Little League World Series before?

Goodlettsville played in the Little League World Series in 2012, winning the U.S. championship before losing to Japan in the international finals. Former Tennessee baseball star Jason Rucker was on that team. He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the seventh round of the 2021 Major League Baseball amateur draft and still plays in the minor leagues.

Goodlettsville also advanced to the Little League World Series in 2016. It reached the U.S. Championship game that year, with Zach McWilliams hitting a tournament-best four home runs.

Paul Skrbina is a sports entrepreneurship reporter for The Tennessean, covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports. Reach him at [email protected] and on the X platform (formerly Twitter). @paulskrbinaFollow his work here