Originally published Sunday, August 10, 2008 at 12:00 AM
PrintMill Creek Little League team rolls into World Series
Playing under the glare of the prime-time lights, the Mill Creek Little League team shined the brightest Saturday night. The little team from...
Special to The Seattle Times
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Playing under the glare of the prime-time lights, the Mill Creek Little League team shined the brightest Saturday night.
The little team from the Seattle area defeated Murrayhill of Beaverton, Ore., 10-1 in the Northwest Region title game. The game was played before 5,000 at Al Houghton Stadium, as well as a national-television audience on ESPN.
The Mill Creek team melded into a happy, sweaty scrum after the final out. Then the players rose to their feet and hopped in unison as their fans roared their approval.
"I cannot explain how this feels," said Kris Mahlum, the wife of Mill Creek manager Scott Mahlum and the mother of team standout Derrick Mahlum.
The victory sends Mill Creek to the World Series in Williamsport, Pa., which begins Friday.
"I'm relieved and overjoyed," Scott Mahlum said. "I said from Day 1 our goal was to go to the World Series. The kids believed the whole time, and they backed it up with action."
Leading 2-1 entering the fourth inning, Mill Creek broke the game open with a two-out rally.
The surge was capped by Derrick Mahlum's line-drive, three-run home run to left.
Leading 5-1, the Mill Creek team was halfway to Williamsport.
Alec Kisena siphoned the remaining suspense out of the stadium in the sixth with a grand slam over the fence in right-center field off Oregon reliever Chandler Whitney.
"All I could think of is, we're going to Williamsport," Kisena said after the game.
Mill Creek starting pitcher Jason Todd was in control throughout.
He yielded a long home run over the right-field fence in the second inning to Oregon's Connor Shaw. But manager Mahlum went to the mound to settle Todd's nerves, and Mill Creek escaped without further damage.
Todd finished with a five-hitter, 10 strikeouts and no walks.
"I think the better team won tonight," said Murrayhill manager Scott Zanon. "But I'm so proud of our boys."
The Mill Creek team leaves San Bernardino at 2:30 a.m. Monday to begin its trek east for the World Series.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
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