Dawgs fall after taking a lead early

WACO, Texas – For the better part of the baseball game, Starkville Little League had a perennial national power Texas East on the ropes.

The Pearland Little League team in Texas has dominated the Southwest Regional over the years and spent time in Williamsport, Pa., at the Little League World Series. The winner's bracket game had upset alert written all over it, however.

Leading 3-0 heading into the fifth inning, Starkville lifted ace pitcher Jack Northcutt and Pearland got some life. Thanks to some calls that went against the Dawgs and some big hits from Texas East, the underdogs came up short in tough fashion as Pearland scored six-straight runs to win the game 6-4.

“I felt like we were in control of the game from the first pitch,” Starkville manager Eric Hallberg said. “(Northcutt) looked great as usual. His pitch count was getting up and he was 10 pitches away from getting tired. It didn't hurt us any pulling him so Taj (Prater) came in and gave us some great innings. It just got away from us in the sixth inning.”

Prater pitched well enough to pull the game out for the Dawgs. He surrendered five hits and six runs in 1.2 innings but four of those were unearned as the defense faltered in the final innings. Prater gave up a triple and a double to lead off the fifth inning that cut the lead to 3-1 and a wild pitch scored another, but the pitcher got the team out of it with a ground out to keep the lead.

Starkville was on the verge of getting insurance in the bottom of the frame with two on and just one out. A ground ball got in out at first base