Gottfried leads Pearland over Bonita, 8-4 in LLWS

Pearland, Texas’ Ben Gottfried (27) delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against Bonita, California in United States pool play at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Sunday, August 23, 2015.

Pearland advanced to play the Lewisberry, Pennsylvania-Taylors, South Carolina victor in Wednesday, with that victor going to Saturday’s U.S. title game. – The Sweetwater Valley Little League All-Star team won, 10-3, against Cranston Western, from Rhode Island Monday evening.

The struggles were also present on defense as Sweetwarer Valley committed 5 errors, made mostly in a rough third inning where West Pearland plated five runners.

After trailing 2-0 early, the West Region champs tied the score, and then Jacob Baptista’s 3rd-inning grand slam gave SVLL a lead they would never relinquish.

Pearland, Texas’ Raffi Gross, right, celebrates with teammates… Dante Schmid homered one out later for Sweetwater Valley’s final run.

David Marchetti’s solo home run in the bottom of the third got a run back for Cranston, which is located just 359 miles from the Little League global complex. Sweetwater Valley pitcher Levi Mendez struck out 11 batters in the victory.

Gottfried allowed no earned run, struck out seven and stifled a team that had hit 90 home runs during 17 straight all-star wins.

Pearland, Texas’ Isaac Garcia, left, is tagged out at home, on an inside-the-park home run attempt, by Bonita’s Walker Lannom during the third inning of a baseball game at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., Sunday, August 23, 2015.