District 3 Final Four set

First round of the District 3 12U Little League double-elimination stage set after South Vineland, Millville win; Pennsville mathematically clinches without playing

FRIDAY’S GAMES
South Vineland 6, Buena 5
Millville American 7, Penns Grove 6

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

The Final Four of the District 3 Little League Tournament was finalized Friday before the final day of pool play when South Vineland and Millville American scored one-run victories in their final pool games.

South Vineland clinched the No. 1 seed in the American Division when it held off a sixth-inning rally by Buena to win 6-5. Millville American rallied for four runs in the bottom of the sixth to get past Penns Grove 7-6 for the second spot from the National.

With South Vineland’s win, Pennsville clinched the 2 seed from the American Division regardless of the outcome of their game Saturday at Bridgeton. Even if Pennsville is upset by winless Bridgeton and finishes 2-2 in pool play, they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over both Buena and Elmer, who play each other Saturday to go 2-2.

East Vineland clinched the No. 1 seed in the National Division earlier in the week.

“It’s huge for Pennsville baseball,” Pennsville manager Steve Pangle said. “It hasn’t been done since 2019 (when they won the district title), so this is a big milestone for Pennsville baseball and it kind of shows you this team is relentless and is ready to go on as far as we can.”

Pennsville will play East Vineland and South Vineland will play Millville when the double-elimination phase of the tournament starts Monday at Pennsville.

In Millville, Penns Grove had their hosts on the brink of elimination after scoring four runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 6-3 lead, their third lead of the game.

Chase Hassler delivered what appeared to be the death blow when he ripped a two-run double to knock Millville out of the potential run-ratio tiebreaker and put West Cumberland in position to make the Final Four. Hassler’s hit followed a game-tying single by Bryce Painter and a go-ahead double by Tariq Robinson.

But Millville rallied in the bottom of the inning, scoring all four runs without ever recording an out.They opened the inning with a triple and RBI double by Ayden Hahn. Carter Robinson delivered a bases-loaded double to tie the game 6-6 and get the winning run to third, and Vash Jacobs brought that home with a grounder to first.

Penns Grove held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 earlier in the game.

In Buena, South Vineland took a 6-1 lead into the sixth inning then held on as Buena scored four runs to make it close. South Vineland pounded out 11 hits in the game with Mason Mendez and Joel Rodriguez getting two apiece. Rodriguez also had two RBIs.

Even though Pennsville has clinched a playoff spot, it has no plans of letting off the gas in its final pool play.

Third baseman Caiden (Chili) Colomy won’t play as he recovers from getting struck with a foul ball Thursday night at South Vineland (and his status for Monday is uncertain), but he will be in the dugout with his teammates. And the pitching plan may be a little more flexible with JoJo Mannino unavailable to throw and Colomy out, but beyond that, Pangle said, “we’re going to go business as usual.”

“We’re going to give the kids the mindset we win we’re in so that way we still have all of our effort and everything there,” Pangle said. “We’re still going into the game to win the game. We’re not just going to sit back and relax.”

Millville American 7, Penns Grove 6

Penns Grove	010	104-	6	7	1
Millville American	010	024-	7	10	2

South Vineland 6, Buena 5

Buena	100	004-	5	10	1
South Vineland	003	21X-	6	11	1

District 3 LL Tournament

AMERICAN	W	L	RUNS	NATIONAL	W	L	RUNS
x-S. Vineland	4	0	37-14	x-E. Vineland	3	0	29-15
x-Pennsville	2	1	10-11	x-Millville Amer	2	1	20-18
Buena	1	2	18-9	W. Cumberland	1	2	15-16
Elmer	1	2	26-13	Penns Grove	0	3	11-25
Bridgeton	0	3	2-46

SATURDAY’S GAMES
Pennsville at Bridgeton, 5 p.m.
Elmer at Buena, 5 p.m.
MONDAY’S GAMES
(At Pennsville LL)
South Vineland vs. Millville American, 5:45 p.m.
East Vineland vs. Pennsville, 8 p.m.