Media scores twice late, slips past Maine to survive another Little League World Series day

By Evan Wheaton

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT — Media Little League faithful can chant their widely adopted ‘Delco vs the World’ slogan a little longer.

After carrying a tied game into the sixth inning Saturday, Mid-Atlantic Regional champion Media scored twice to stave off elimination, escaping with a 5-3 win over Gray New Gloucester L.L., the New England champion out of Maine, at Howard J. Lamade Stadium.

The victory keeps Media’s Cinderella season amid the loser’s bracket of the 2023 Little League World Series. It will face Metro champion Rhode Island in another elimination game Sunday at 11 a.m.

“It was a lot of positive stuff. It’s good to know they’re all cheering for you and not against you,” catcher Nathaniel Saleski said of the thunderous crowd, estimated at 22,809 in attendance. “It was cool to have a big crowd like that.”

Saleski made the decisive play of the game in the top of the sixth inning. At the top of Media’s order with a runner on third base, Saleski (2-for-3, run, RBI) unleashed a double to center, retaking a 4-3 lead to keep afloat to the finish.

“It was awesome, but I didn’t realize until a few seconds later what I just did because I was more worried about advancing to the next base,” Saleski said. “But it was really cool.”

Charles Haenn came home on a passed ball and was ruled safe, and after video review for a tight play at the plate, the call stood, allowing the two-run cushion for the Mid-Atlantic champs.

Initially down 3-2 in the fourth inning, Gray New Gloucester rifled off three consecutive two-out hits, capped by a single to center by Mason Amergian (2-for-2, run, RBI) for the RBI and equalizer.

Maine had only three hits up to that point, and doubled its output on the ball to create neutral ground once more, both teams fighting to extend their seasons.

“Just have to put the bat on the ball. Ball has to get in between the lines, if it doesn’t get between the lines, nothing can happen,” New England manager Mike Amergian said. “They did a good job, the whole lineup did a good job today, I thought. Better than our last game.”

In its last two games, Media had recorded just four hits. In the top of the first inning alone, it racked up three knocks with a trio of runs to follow.

Saleski led off the game with a base hit on the second pitch before a reach on error and a player hit by a pitch loaded the bases with no outs.

Trevor Skowronek then ripped a line drive to right field, scoring two before a one-out drop to center by Christian Nunez — his third hit of the World Series — for a 3-0 cushion after the opening frame.

“Being the away team, we got the attitude that we better go out and hit first. We always talk about winning the inning,” Media coach Tom Bradley said. “If you win the inning and you bat first when you’re the away team, you really need to score some runs. And we went out there, Nate (Saleski) got on in the first inning and then things started rolling.”

Maine may not have won the first inning, but didn’t lose it by much, either. Gage Rioux (2-for-2, 2 runs) led off the bottom half with a triple and came home on an error to put Gray New Gloucester on the board.

After back-to-back singles put runners in scoring position, a passed ball brought in another run to cut the Media lead to 3-2. But Gratton pulled Media out of the inning with two strikeouts to hold the lead.

Gratton was pulled after 4⅓ innings with 51 on his pitch count. After seven strikeouts, six hits and no walks, Media threw a roll of the dice to pull him for Trevor Skowronek, putting all the trust in the latter with the promise of more availability in the club’s arms should they come out with a win.

“Nolan’s a great pitcher. He really comes in, we have a solid defense behind him and he rolls the ground balls, his pop-offs, he really hits his spots,” Bradley said of Gratton. “He spins the ball pretty good, a good changeup and he works different pitches up in and out, up and down.”

So, how did Skowronek handle things? With a strikeout and no hits or walks allowed through 1⅓ innings, sealing the win behind that offensive spark down the stretch. Skowronek threw 23 pitches on the day.

“I was really nervous when I was out there,” Skowronek said. “But after it happened, I felt great and I’m really excited we got our first win (of the World Series).”

Amergian pitched a complete game for New England, striking out five with seven hits allowed and no walks. Altogether, Media outhit Gray New Gloucester, 7-6 while registering two errors to Maine’s four.

All that first-inning offense took a backseat when no player reached base through two full innings. Austin Crowley broke the cycle of flashing leather by reaching on error to lead off the fourth inning.

“They handled it well. They like playing in front of these large crowds,” Bradley said. “They’re a good group of kids and they’re not afraid to go out there and put the pressure on themselves.”