Hinsdale's Grant Wanless has a better chance than most players at the Little League World Series.
Because no matter what happens on the field, Wanless knows his father, Chad, the Hinsdale coach, will be there with him representing the Great Lakes Region team.
“Just being able to see him from the dugout when I'm pitching or when I'm at bat or when I'm on base, I think I feel more comfortable being out there,” Grant Wanless said. “It gives me confidence.”
“He supports me and gives me the confidence to change at-bats and innings.”
Chad Wanless was pinch-hit by his son in relief pitching Friday as Hinsdale High School lost 5-0 to Hawaii in the opening game of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Grant Wanless pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings with one strikeout and one walk and also collected one of Hinsdale's three hits. Kellan Goodwin contributed the other two hits.
“I'm proud of him because he pitched a great game,” Chad Wanless said of his son. “I was thrilled when he got a hit, but I hope the next one is a game-winning hit.”
Manager Chad Wanless said his team excels at hitting fastball pitchers, but Hinsdale hasn't faced a pitcher like Hawaii's Evan Tavares.
Hinsdale's Alex Vivanco (13) gets Hawaii's Brekstin Kamahao Hong (18) out at third base during the first inning of the opening game of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. (Gene J. Puskar/The Associated Press)
Tavares allowed the first two batters of the game to reach base, then retired the next 12 batters, nine of whom were strikeouts.
“He was outstanding,” Wanless said. “I wish we had gotten one (in the first game). He deserves credit for what he did. He stayed calm, got out of some tough spots and got past some good hitters.”
“We didn't perform to our potential. We had to play perfectly to beat him.”
Hinsdale's Fred Sackley walked to start the game, then Goodwin singled the other way, advancing runners to first and second with no outs.
But a grounder and two strikeouts ended that threat.
Hinsdale's Ethan Chang reacts as he comes to bat in the sixth inning against Hawaii during the first round of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. (Gene J. Puskar/The Associated Press)
Grant Wanless said it was a challenge facing the powerful 5-foot-10-inch left-handed pitcher.
“He's a good pitcher,” Grant Wanless said of Tavares. “He throws hard, he's big, he's intimidating. He's tall, so the ball comes down fast, so he's hard to hit.”
“If we play them again, we need to get our batting line up quicker and be more selective. He's a good pitcher, but we should have hit him better.”
Hinsdale put ace Dillon Phelps on the mound to face Tavares.
Phelps gave up one run in the bottom of the first inning, but bounced back in the second inning by striking out three batters in a row, but struggled in the third inning and ended the game 0-2 down.
An error added two more runs in the inning, and suddenly Hawaii was up 4-0.
“He wasn't at his best,” manager Chad Wanless said of Phelan. “You've got to hang in there on days like that. It's hard to hang in there when the other team has a guy as tough as a big left-hander. We didn't give Dillon anything to fall back on.”
“We're going to do everything we can to get him back on the mound again.”
Hinsdale's Shane Behar (left) homers off Hawaii's Matthew Yong (17) during the third inning of a first-round game of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. (Jean J. Puskar/The Associated Press)
The loss puts Hinsdale in unfamiliar territory: It's the first time this group has lost a match in three years. The positive? The tournament is double-elimination, so Hinsdale is still in the running.
Hinsdale is scheduled to play the winner of Saturday's game between Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Staten Island, New York, at 8 a.m. Sunday.
“It just felt a little bit different,” Grant Wanless said. “It was bound to happen at some point. We were ready for it. We know we're playing in the biggest youth tournament in the world.”
“Just getting to this point is a huge accomplishment.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for the Pioneer Press.
First published: August 16, 2024, 6:38 PM
