The All Stars scored eight runs to defeat Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania and advance. They will now play for a chance to clinch a spot in the United States championship game.
Pearland struck first with a double from Jacob Zurek. Then Kaiden Shelton and Landon Karel walked to load the bases. Zurek came on to score off a wild pitch that put the All Stars on the scoreboard.
Malachi Clark doubled on a line drive to center to bring Shelton and Karel home, providing the early 3-0 cushion.
Pennsylvania did not go down without a fight, quickly scoring two runs of their own. It was a single by Brody Dull that tied the game at three before Pearland recorded the final out of the inning.
Zurek put the All Stars back in front in the second with a solo homerun. The offenses for both teams stalled out until the fifth inning when Manny Castillo hit a two-run blast that put the All Stars up 6-3.
Pennsylvania got a run back in the bottom of the fifth off a groundout to cut the deficit to only two, but Pearland increased its lead at the top of the sixth with another two-run bomb from Shelton.
Shelton was also the starting pitcher for Pearland, shaking off a three-run first inning. He pitched three innings.
Corey Kahn pitched the final three innings allowing two hits and one run. Kahn also had the play of the game in the bottom of the third by robbing what would have been a game-tying homerun, catching the ball high over the center field wall.
Pearland will now play Nolensville, Tennessee, at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. The winner will advance to the U.S. championship game.
