Bayonne Little League found itself in a position Sunday that it hasn’t been in for quite some time.
After winning 15 straight games, its streak came to an end in the form of a 6-0 loss to Davenport (Iowa) Northwest in the Little League World Series, putting the New Jersey squad on the brink of elimination from the tournament.
The Midwest Region representatives held Bayonne to just one hit all game, with the lone hit coming in the bottom of the third by right fielder Joey Dwyer.
Bayonne star Mason Rincon wasn’t able to replicate the dominant performance that he had shown earlier in the tournament, pitching three innings and allowing three runs on four hits.
Davenport Northwest’s starter Anthony Johnson Jr. had Bayonne’s number all day, striking out 15 batters in 5 ²/₃ innings.
“The kid had a great changeup, a great curveball and he wasn’t wild today,” Bayonne coach Justin Smith told reporters about Johnson’s performance against his team. “He was hitting everything he had to hit. He was very good. Hats off to him.”
Bayonne will now move to the elimination bracket and Tuesday night will face the winner of Monday’s game between the Southwest Region and the Great Lakes Region.
The New Jersey Little Leaguers, whose battle cry has been “Bayonne vs. Everyone,” can still reach the U.S. championship game in the tournament, but now have no margin for error.
“They got punched in the face today and now they got to wake up tomorrow and regroup and keep fighting,” Smith said. “I think they’ll regroup and I think they’ll keep fighting.”
Davenport Northwest jumped out to a quick start Sunday afternoon in Williamsport, Pa., taking advantage of early mistakes by Bayonne, which included a wild pitch, an error and a single that helped the Iowa squad to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Rincon threw 31 pitches in the first inning alone — the max he’s allowed to throw in a game is 85 — and finished the day with 65 pitches when he came out of the game and Gabe Garcia Jr. took over for him.
Rincon did strike out six batters during the outing.
“I don’t think he struggled, I think he was good. We just have to make a couple more plays here and there,” Smith said about his starter, noting several defensive plays that weren’t made by Bayonne in the loss.
Johnson drove in Iowa’s third run of the game in the top of the third inning with a single on the ground to right field and he added to that in the sixth inning, when he hit a three-run home run to center field.
Bayonne’s do-or-die showdown Tuesday won’t be the first time that the team has faced this type of situation, having to play a win-or-go-home situation during the regional tournament.
Smith said the plan for Tuesday is simple.
“We take it one game at a time,” he said. “Can’t tell the kids to go win four games. It’s one game a day. That’s what you have to go for.”
