2006 Big League World Series

–––––– Championship –––––– Thousand Oaks (West) 1st baseman Michael Ricatta stretches as he throws a runner out during the 4th inning of the Big League World Series in Easley, SC. West defeated Southeast 12-9. Photo provided by Conrad LaRosa World Champions Kitchen and his Thousand Oaks Big League baseball team — twice runners-up in the Big League World Series — finally will return home with a title in hand after blanking Puerto Rico 10-0 in the event's championship game at the J.B. "Red" Owens Recreation Complex. More –––––– Day 5 –––––– District One concludes pool play undefeated So with nothing more to prove, the team relaxed a bit and the results were phenomenal as the host team defeated U.S. Central 10-0 in five innings. More Louisiana clinches spot in pool championships Louisiana, the U.S. Southwest team, was the only team that did not play on the opening day of the Big League World Series. The Cajun team had to wait until Sunday night to face S.C. District One, the three-time defending champions. More Puerto Rico clinches spot in pool championship series With the U.S. West team already assured of one spot in the pool championship series, Wednesday night's game between Puerto Rico and the U.S. East team from Dover, Del., boiled down to a battle of survival. The loser was out of contention for the Big League World Series title. More Guam tops Canada for first win In a battle of winless teams, Guam scored 8 runs early and held on to take a 8-5 victory of Canada Wednesday afternoon. More –––––– Day 4 –––––– Close call gives S.C. District One win Brodie Snapp, the first batter that U.S. West pitcher Max Gutierrez faces in the 2006 Big League World Series, hit a single. Snapp stole second, but did not go any further. More Puerto Rico edges U.S. East 5-3 In a game that would eliminate one team from the possibility of reaching the pool championship series, Puerto Rico edged the U.S. East team from Delaware 5-3. More California rolls in 7th inning to take win California scored 10 runs in the top of the seventh to break away from a Canadian team that was close to scoring an upset over the unbeaten U.S. West representatives. More Southeast pounds Asia-Pacific After finding that 14 runs were not enough for victory on Sunday, the U.S. Southeast team hit six home runs in route to a 23-3 victory over Guam Tuesday afternoon. More –––––– Day 3 –––––– Gutierrez silences U.S. East bats Brodie Snapp, the first batter that U.S. West pitcher Max Gutierrez faces in the 2006 Big League World Series, hit a single. Snapp stole second, but did not go any further. More Panama's comeback fall short Trailing by five runs in the bottom of the sixth, Panama put its bats to work for the final six outs of its game against Louisiana. More Puerto Rico tops Guam 9-1 Puerto Rico opened the game a single by Fernando Garcia, who stole second and third base before being driven home by a single by Daniel Ortiz. Jimmy Revas then hit a home run to give Puerto Rico a 3-0 lead. More –––––– Day 2 –––––– Host team edges Southwest in extra innings Matthew Ramey stole home for the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning Sunday night at S.C. District One defeated Louisiana 4-3 in nine innings. More U.S. West holds of Guam, 6-4 By defeating Puerto Rico on opening day, the U.S. West looked to be the team to beat in Pool A. More U.S. East beats U.S. Southwest in slugfest At first, it looked like it would be a route by the U.S. Southeast team from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., as they scored 4 runs in the first inning, another run in the second, then six more in the top of the third. More EMEA tops U.S. Central 9-7 Germany, this year's EMEA representative scored a first — EMEA's first victory over an American team — Sunday afternoon by defeating U.S. Central 9-7. More Puerto Rico evens record When Daniel Paulson opened up Game 6 of the Big League World Series with a solo home run, Canadian fans had reason to hope for a high-scoring day for their team. More –––––– Day 1 –––––– EMEA closes gap with Host team Germany, representing EMEA, did not get the win they wanted over the host team, S.C. District One, Saturday night. More Sixth inning rally leads West to win In the five years that the Big League World Series has been in Easley, the U.S. West has appeared in the finals three times, and Latin America has been there twice. The West has advanced to the pool championships four times, while Latin America has been there three times. More U.S. East 14, Asia/Pacific 3 The U.S. East team, from Dover, Del., used a steady pounding of the Guam pitchers to earn a 14-3 victory over Asia/Pacific in Saturday afternoon in the Big League World Series. More Panama pounds U.S. Central 18-4 Panama is making its first trip to Easley as a Latin American representative in the Big League World Series. The team made a large impression in its first game Sunday, defeating the U.S. Central team 18-4. More U.S. Southeast opens with hot bats The players from Fraser Valley, British Columbia, probably are not very fond of the mid-day South Carolina heat. More Team Guam overtaken 14-3 A 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning is no big deal in the Big League World Series. Just ask Team Guam, which held the lead but later lost by a 10-run mercy rule decision yesterday in Easley, S.C. More –––––– July 2006 –––––– Special to the News Journal/JASON MINTO Delaware District I catcher Mike Sturgis celebrates after making a putout at home plate against Delaware District II on Tuesday. District I captures Eastern Regional Accomplishments are often made sweeter after some hardship is endured. More District 57 falls in West final District 57 loses in Big League West final District 57 came within one win of a trip to the Big League World Series, but the run ended Tuesday afternoon with a 10-0 loss to Southern California in the Big League West Regionals title game. More District 57 earns spot in final District 57 advanced to the Big League West Regional championship game with a 15-8 win over Washington on Monday. District 57 must defeat Southern California twice today to earn the title. More T.O. closing in on Big League World Series Thousand Oaks is a win away from returning to the Little League Big League World Series for the third time in four years. More South Broward captures Big League regional For the first time since leaving Fort Lauderdale in 1998, the Big League World Series will include a Broward County All-Star team. More T.O. reaches Big League regional championship The Thousand Oaks Big League All-Stars came out swinging again on Sunday and rolled past Puget Sound, Wash., 14-3, to advance to the Western Regional Tournament championship game on Tuesday at Ollala, Wash. More U.S. Central Big Leaguers begin regional tournament The Big League Baseball Central Region tournament gets under way for Michigan District 9 and seven other teams, with the District 9 team guaranteed to play at least three games before the field is whittled down to four. More Big Leaguers loaded with experience Guam has had at least one team advance to a World Series event since 2000. More Guam all-stars moving forward The Guam Big League all-stars are returning to the Big League World Series in Easley, S.C. More Thousand Oaks Big League captures Section 1 title The ultimate goal this summer for the Thousand Oaks Big League All-Stars is to make a return trip to the World Series in South Carolina, where they finished as runners-up a year ago. More Little Big Leaguers... vie for Prairie title and a shot at playing in a World Series The biggest little leaguers on the prairies have converged at Tiger Goldstick Park. More T.O. beats Ontario, needs two more wins The Thousand Oaks Big League baseball team needs two wins to advance to next week's Big League West Region Tournament for 16-18-year-old Little League players at Port Orchard, Wash. More Thousand Oaks Big Leaguers earn Section 2 championship The road to the Big League World Series for 16-17-18-year-old Little League players starts in Thousand Oaks and the destination is Easley, S.C., July 29-Aug. 5. More