The White Rock All-Stars’ first game of the Little League World Series is off to quite a start – thanks in large part to the powerful bat of Chase Marshall.
The first baseman had two home runs – one of which was a grand slam – in the first three innings of the game to pace the Canadian squad’s attack in a 12-2 win over Italy Thursday.
White Rock led 3-1 after two-and-half innings, then blew the game open in the third, scoring seven runs.
The team tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning, to extend the lead, and though Italy scored once themselves in the inning, it was not enough to bridge the game closer than 10 runs, and the mercy-rule was invoked, ending the game.
Reece Usselman was strong on the pitcher’s mound for the the White Rock squad, striking out six batters in two-and-one-thirds of a inning. In the bottom of the third inning, he swapped positions with Marshall, who is now on the hill, and has struck out two Italy batters.
They will now play Venezeula on Sunday, after the Latin American region team defeated Mexico 4-1 earlier this afternoon.
