Harlem Ousted Dramatically

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — An intentional walk had taken the bat out of the hands of Worcester’s power hitter. Along came Ryan Griffin.

His three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning gave Worcester, Mass., a 5-2 victory over Harlem, N.Y., on Thursday night in a U.S. semifinal at the Little League World Series.

“I couldn’t believe it was going--I couldn’t believe the game ended like that,” Griffin said. “I was just trying to hit it into a gap in left or right field.”

Gordie Lockbaum walked to lead off the sixth inning and Frank Flynn, who hit Worcester’s only home run of the tournament, was intentionally walked. After one out, Griffin battled through an eight-pitch at-bat and sent the ball sailing over the right-field wall.

Harlem right fielder Fernando Frias threw his cap near the fence in obvious disappointment.

“Ryan, the last couple games, has been putting it into the dirt,” Worcester Manager Fran Granger said. “We worked on that and worked on it. Tonight, it paid off.”

Worcester will play Louisville, Ky., in Saturday’s U.S. championship game.

The international championship will feature Willemstad, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles against Sendai, Japan. Curacao beat Valencia, Venezuela, 3-0, Thursday.

Harlem was swinging for the fences in the top of the sixth, but Jeremy Lopez grounded out and Alibay Barkley and Javier Lopez were struck out by Keith Landers.

“That has been our nemesis, if you will, the off-speed pitch -- and it reared its head again,” Harlem Manager Morris McWilliams said.

Harlem, which led, 2-0, in the third inning, left the bases loaded in that inning and again in the fourth. Worcester tied it in the third on a sacrifice fly by Flynn and a passed ball.