Junior LL Regionals: Johnston Improves to 3-1, Faces PA Today

Starting pitcher Matt Kennedy notched nine strikeouts and held Howell Township, NJ, to two runs on four hits to help the Johnston Junior Little League team on the way to a 7-2 victory Tuesday afternoon in Freehold, NJ.

"He pitched like a grown man — and you can quote me on that," coach Joe Santilli said by phone on Tuesday night.

The local squad improved to 3-1 overall in the East Regional Tournament as John Willette held New Jersey scoreless for 1.2 innings in relief and contributed 3 RBI on 2 hits, including a seventh-inning home run, to the local team's offense in the elimination bracket win, according to online statistics provided by Gamechanger.

Korey Fijal's sacrifice fly in the sixth scored Armani Henderson to break a 2-2 tie on the way to four runs for Johnston, followed up by three more in the top of the seventh.

Michael Caparco went 2-for-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBI, and Marc Conte added a 2-for-4 plate performance to push Johnston to the win.

With the victory, Johnston stayed alive in the consolation bracket after surrendering a 9-4 decision to Massachusetts in their second game on Aug. 5.

"We beat ourselves in that one — we had three consecutive errors, and that's what doomed us," Santilli explained.

After two straight wins, Santilli said his players "are very confident — they're on a big-time high, and they're ready to continue."

Last year's East Region winners are looking to continue the positive trend, Santilli explained.

"We think we can compete with anyone — if we play our game, nobody can beat us," Santilli said. "The pitching gets tough because of [rules limiting] pitch counts, but we have seven or eight kids who can pitch, so we a little deeper than other teams."

When asked about his own experience in the tournament, Santilli made a point to note the contributions of assistants Jerry Coro, Gary Gilheeney, and Gary Gilheeny Jr., in helping the team rebound from the early loss.

"They've done a tremendous job with these kids and helping us get to this point," Santilli explained.

The squad is scheduled to face Dunbar, PA, this afternoon at 4 pm.