West Side makes dramatic start to Little League World Series with extra-innings win

The Hamilton 12-year-old all-star team, making its fifth Little League World Series appearance and first since 2010, won the game despite collecting only two hits. West Side pitchers J.J. Vogel and Cooper Oden combined to limit Nolensville to two hits as well.

In the eighth inning, both teams started with a runner at second. In the top of the inning, Nolensville advanced its runner to third with one out. West Side pitcher Cooper Oden then got two groundouts to strand the runner at third.

In the bottom of the eighth, Chase Moak started the inning on second and moved to third on a one-out infield single by Brady Baumann. Nolensville intentionally walked Levi Smith to load the bases.

Then a hard-hit groundball by Noah Davidson got under the first baseman’s glove — it was ruled an error — and rolled into right field. Moak scored from third base as West Side, the Great Lakes Region runner-up, celebrated.

West Side will play the California champion (Torrance) or New Hampshire champion (North Manchester-Hooksett) at 9 a.m. Sunday at Volunteer Stadium in the Tom Seaver Championship half of the 16-team bracket.

Vogel, who threw a five-inning no-hitter against Hinsdale, Ill., to clinch a Little League World Series berth in the regional tournament, again threw five no-hit innings in this game. He didn’t give up a hit until there were two outs in the top of the sixth. He had to leave the game at that point because he had reached his pitch limit.

Vogel struck out six and walked two. Two of the walks came in the first inning. Nolensville had runners at second and third with one out. West Side ended the threat by turning a double play.

Oden relieved Vogel and got a strikeout to end the sixth. He gave up a two-single in the seventh and then hit a batter but got out of the jam with an inning-ending strikeout.

Kaleb Harden recorded West Side’s only hit, a lead-off single in the fifth, against Nolesnville starter Nolan Brown, who struck out four and did not walk a batter in seven innings.

West Side improved to 4-8 in the Little League World Series. This was the second time in five World Series trips, it won its first game. Here are the results from the previous four appearances.

• In 2010, West Side beat Toms River, N.J., 16-6 in its opening game before losing 6-0 to Columbus, Ga., and 6-4 to Waipahu, Hawaii.

• In 2007, West Side lost 3-2 to Walpole, Mass., beat eventual champion Warner Robins, Ga., 10-2 and then lost 6-1 to Lake Oswego, Ore.

• In 1993, West Side lost 8-0 to Long Beach, Calif., and 1-0 to Bedford, N.H., before beating Richmond, Va., 1-0.

• In 1991, West Side lost 8-0 to Staten Island, N.Y., and 10-0 to the Dominican Republic.