Central Pennsylvania’s favorite sons, from the Keystone Little League in Clinton County, celebrated another victory before exchanging handshakes with their opponents at home plate. The crowd erupted with chants of “Let’s go Keystone! Let’s go Keystone,’’ before a deafening roar following the final out.
McCloskey seemed oblivious to all the fuss. The 13-year-old closer tipped his cap and calmly walked off the mound while the rest of his teammates jumped for joy.
Mariano Rivera would have been proud.
“I’m not really nervous anymore because I’ve done this about a million times, now,’’ McCloskey said. “I just have to go in there and stay focused and stay confident.’’
In the early games Tuesday, second baseman Ken Igeta had an RBI double to start the scoring in a three-run third, and catcher Asuya Otsuka added an RBI triple in Hamamatsu City, Japan’s 4-0 victory over Langley, British Columbia. Cumberland, R.I., had a wild 8-7 win over the Netherlands in a consolation game after Colin Cannata scored on an error in the bottom of the sixth.
An earthquake centered in Virginia briefly rattled Lamade Stadium during that game, causing the metal tables bolted to the concrete floor on press row to shake for several seconds. Play never stopped, and Rhode Island’s players said they never felt the rumbling on the field.
The giddy players created their own mini-rumblings when they mobbed Cannata in foul territory after he scored the winning run.
“There was an earthquake,’’ manager David Belisle asked incredulously afterward. “Is that right?’’
A Little League official said the venue was deemed safe after a structural engineer’s inspection, and the rest of Tuesday’s slate went on as scheduled.
The Georgia-Pennsylvania nightcap had the intensity of two major league teams competing for a pennant. Pennsylvania’s fans livened up the atmosphere wearing the colors of their beloved “Big Blue Machine.’’ A local marching band played in the stands to make Little League feel old school.
