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Sports

Show Time Approaches For Fairfield American

The teams opens the 64th Little League World Series on Friday at 1 p.m. against Auburn, Washington

Brian McGrath, one of Fairfield American's assistant coaches, likened the Little League World Series to taking a final exam in school.

All the studying, all the preparation, all the practices are over, and now it's time to take that test  and step into the spotlight.

The Fairfield American team, which has been in Williamsport, Pennsylvania since Monday afternoon, has the honor of opening the 64th Little League World Series on Friday at 1 p.m, when it takes on Auburn, Washington, the Northwest champion, in its pool B opener.

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At 3 p.m.,  Plymouth, Minnesota, the Midwest champion,  faces Pearland, Texas, the Southwest winner, in the other pool B first-round game. The two winners meet Sunday at 8 p.m after the two losers square off in an elimination clash Saturday at 8 p.m.

"I think the boys are ready," McGrath said. "I think the Little League World Series, and even the New England Regional final before that, is a bit like having to take a very tough final exam at school.

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"In this case, the boys have studied for this 'exam'  relentlessly and for literally hundreds of hours. There is not a question or a situation that they have not seen, and they have their 'A' game ready to provide all the answers to whatever question they are asked."

At this point, there is nothing left to do but play the game.

Manager Chris Daley will be counting on the same things that carried his club to Williamsport - strong defense, solid pitching and timely hitting up and down the lineup. That is a winning formula on any level.

The players and coaches also know they will have the support of fans watching back home.

"It's been very special," Daley said.  "The boys have worked extremely hard all summer long and are now enjoying the rewards."

A city of 40,000, Auburn is considered a suburn in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area. Located 20 minutes south of Seattle, it is the 13th largest city in Washington.

The top athletes to come out of Auburn  are Blair Rasmussen, who was selected in the first round of the 1985 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets,  and Jeff Barkshire,  a professional NASCAR driver.

It's hard to know much about the opposition because this isn't like college football, where you can get tapes of the opponent and do a lot of advanced scouting.

Like Fairfield American, Auburn is making its first appearance in Williamsport. The team has yet to lose this summer, routing Idaho, 13-3, in the Northwest Regional championship game. The game was halted after four innings because of the mercy rule.

Auburn, 15-0 overall,  was dominant in the regional tournament, with four of its six games being stopped short because of the 10-run mercy rule.

Auburn boasts a lineup that has four hitters who averaged .500 or better in the regional tournament – Isaiah Hatch (.579), Dillon O'Grady (.563), Hudson Byorick (.529) and Casey Manning (.526).

Fairfield American enters the LLWS with a 20-1 record. Its one loss was a 2-0 deafeat to Cumberland National, the Rhode Island state champion, in the first game of the New England Regional, but the team avenged that setback with a 1-0  victory over Cumberland in the regional final.

Fairfield American's top hitters in the New England Regionals were Nick Nardone (.444, 8-for-18), Chris Howell  (.421, 8-for-19) and Patrick O'Leary (.400, 4-for-10).

Nardone, also the ace of the staff, will have the task of shutting down what appears to be a potent Auburn attack. He made four appearances in the regionals, posting a 1-1 record with one save and a spectacular 1.54 ERA.

In 11 2/3 innings in Bristol, Nardone allowed only two earned and six hits with five walks and 20 strikeouts. In the championship game he surrendered only one hit -  a first-inning single - over 5 2/3 innings.


 

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