By John Royster
Yakima, Wash.
August 25, 2001

GAME 1
Danville, Calif. 8, Napoleon, Ohio 7

Danville, the defending national champion, broke a 5-5 tie with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning and went on to win the Series' opening game. DH Noah Albers doubled home second baseman Richard Chinn to give the Hoots a 6-5 lead, and they scored two insurance runs in the seventh. It turned out the extra runs were needed: Napoleon first baseman Kyle Penrod hit a two-run homer to cut it to 8-7 in the top of the ninth before righthander Andy Keller came on to record the final two outs and a save.

GAME 2
Milford, Mass. 15, Albany, Ga. 2

Milford scored five runs in the first two innings, and 10 more in the last two, in routing Albany. Left fielder Bob Kenny went 5-for-5 with five RBIs, and center fielder Dan McDonald had four hits and three RBIs. Righthander Lary Lovett pitched the Series' first complete game, scattering 10 hits and striking out three. The win was the first in the World Series by a Massachusetts team since East Springfield won a 1978 semifinal game in Yakima. Since then, five Bay State teams had reached the Series and gone a combined 0-10.

GAME 3
Brooklawn, N.J. 9, Midwest City, Okla. 6

Brooklawn, the first team to reach the World Series four straight years, showed how that is done--by winning under pressure. It erased a four-run deficit in the bottom of the eighth inning, scoring seven times after having two outs and the bases empty. Center fielder Ryan Flynn's three-run double to left-center put Brooklawn ahead 7-6, and catcher Mike Rucci added a two-run double two batters later.

Click here for a closer look at the Brooklawn team.

GAME 4
Lewiston, Idaho 5, Omaha 1

Lefthander Julius Smith of Lewiston spent the late Friday game putting Omaha's bats to bed, pitching a four-hitter and striking out 12. The only run he gave up came on a balk in the top of the third, and it tied the game 1-1. The tie didn't long, as Lewiston's Allen Balmer (single) and Josh Burton (walk) each drove home a run in the bottom of the inning.