Behind another spectacular performance from ace pitcher Evan Tavares, the Central East Maui Little League team stayed alive in the Little League World Series with a 3-1 win over Pennsylvania on Tuesday in an elimination game.
CEM, which was narrowly defeated by Nevada on Monday, prolonged its World Series journey by at least another day with the win.
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Central East Maui advances to face Florida for a 1 p.m. HST game on Wednesday on ESPN in another elimination contest.
Central East Maui scored two runs in the bottom of the first, manufacturing a pair of runs via sacrifice fly and a wild pitch that scored Brextyn Hong from third. CEM added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth on a Pennsylvania throwing error.
As a team, Central East Maui had six hits on Tuesday, with no player having more than one.
On the mound, Tavares was dominant, surrendering just three hits and two walks with 12 strikeouts in 5.2 innings, exiting the game after reaching the Little League pitch limit of 85. Because of his pitch count on Tuesday, he will not be eligible to come back until Sunday, the final day of the Little League World Series.
Kanon Nakama recorded the final out on the mound for Central East Maui.
In order to reach the United States championship game, Central East Maui must win on Wednesday and Thursday or would otherwise be eliminated.