Hey Jude! NY second baseman goes 5-for-5 in LLWS

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — The pair of winners’ bracket games to close Wednesday’s Little League World Series action provided late-day drama in totally different ways. After Panama edged South Korea in a 3-2 pitchers’ duel, New York won a scintillating slugfest, 13-10, over Kentucky in the nightcap, highlighted by an other-worldly performance from second baseman Jude Abbadessa, who went 5-for-5 with six RBIs and three runs scored.

Prior to that, Panama stunned South Korea thanks to a three-run homer in the fifth inning. The loss was South Korea’s first ever in LLWS competition, but it will get the chance to fight through the losers’ bracket Thursday. Meanwhile, Panama punched its ticket to Saturday’s International Championship with the come-from-behind victory. Earlier in the day, Mexico and Tennessee won their elimination games in lopsided fashion to earn another win-or-go-home contest on Thursday.

Game 24

Mid-Atlantic 13, Great Lakes 10

The Great Lakes Region champs from Kentucky temporarily silenced the huge crowd, which overwhelmingly roared for Mid-Atlantic Region champion New York thanks to the team’s two-hour proximity to Williamsport. Carson Myers banged a deep fly ball off the New York left fielder’s glove and over the wall for a first-inning three-run homer and early lead. New York struck back early and often, though, plating two runs of its own in the bottom of the first, then three runs in both the second and third innings for an 8-4 lead.

Three hits, including a two-run homer, from Abbadessa, highlighted the New York attack. The tide would turn again, however, when New York intentionally walked Devin Obee to load the bases in the top of the fourth. Two-hole hitter Spencer Newman made them pay, lacing a three-run triple to the wall in left-center to pull Kentucky within one, at 8-7, and he scored on an RBI groundout by Turner Nottmeier to tie things up. To the delight of the “Juuude”-chanting crowd, Abbadessa collected two more RBIs on a fourth-inning double to give New York another brief lead, only to see Kentucky claw for two to tie it up again in the top of the fifth.

Finishing the game with at least two runs in every inning, New York pushed across three in the fifth to take the lead for good. The hero of the LLWS so far, Abbadessa collected his fifth hit with another RBI single in that fifth inning. …

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