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TORRANCE (CNS) - The all-star team from the Torrance Little League will resume play Tuesday in the West Region Tournament in an elimination bracket game.
Torrance will face the loser of Monday's game between the all-star teams from the Honolulu and Las Vegas' Summerlin South little leagues. The noon game will be streamed by ESPN+.
Attendance at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino is limited to the pass holders from the teams playing and the “Friends and Family'' pass holders.
Torrance was limited to two singles in a 1-0 loss Sunday to the all-stars from Arizona's Queen Creek Little League to open play in the modified double-elimination tournament.
Baylor Denny doubled in Julian Lopez with two outs in the top of the sixth inning for the game's only run.
Reliever Xavier Navarro allowed a double to Lopez, the first batter he faced and the No. 9 batter in the lineup of the Arizona state champion. Navarro then retired the next two batters.
Torrance advanced one batter past second base. Andrew Nuruki reached first on an error by pitcher Alexander McRae leading off the fourth, moved to second on a two-out passed ball by Gunner Lane and to third on Christian Chavez's single. McRae struck out Brandon Perez to end the inning.
Gibson Turner had Torrance's other hit, a two-out single in the fifth, but the next batter, Skylar Vinson, grounded out to end the inning.
McRae struck out 10, walked two and allowed two hits in five innings for the victory. Gunner Brewer pitched a perfect sixth for the save, striking out the first two batters he faced.
With the Little League World Series limited to U.S. teams this year because of the coronavirus, each of the top two teams from the eight U.S. regions will advance to the World Series instead of just the champion.
Teams winning at least three games in the West Region Tournament are assured of a berth in the Little League World Series.
Torrance is seeking to be the first team from Los Angeles County to reach the Little League World Series since 1994, when the all-star team from the Northridge Little League won the U.S. championship with a team including future USC and NFL quarterback Matt Cassel.
Torrance qualified for the six-team West Region Tournament by winning the 10-team Southern California Divisional Tournament.
Torrance lost 6-4 to the Eastlake Little League all-stars in its opener July 24, then won five games in six days to reach the championship series, where it defeated Eastlake 8-4 and 10-5.
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