Johnson Takes Matters in Hand

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. —  Erik Johnson dislikes pitching. Good thing for Moorpark he dislikes losing even more.

Johnson, Moorpark’s best hitter but only one of about a half-dozen candidates to pitch, told Coach Gary Sharpe he wanted the ball Tuesday against Marshalltown, Iowa, in the second round of the Little League World Series.

The ball was placed in Johnson’s large right hand and he unleashed it faster than 70 mph several times in a 7-3 victory before 4,500.

Moorpark (20-4, 1-1 in series play) plays Panama City, Fla., today at 5 p.m. PDT in the final round of pool play. A victory will put Moorpark in the national championship game Thursday.

In the past, Johnson has made it known he’d rather eat a heaping plate of mushy vegetables than pitch, but following Moorpark’s 5-1 loss to Cranston, R.I., Monday, he decided to swallow hard.

“I wanted to come to Williamsport all my life,” he said. “This was a do-or-die game and I am a clutch player. I’m not real comfortable pitching and I don’t think I’ll pitch at a higher level, but it was time.”

Combining a live fastball with a good changeup, the 5-foot-10 Johnson struck out 13 and allowed three hits. He walked six--all in the last three innings--but struck out the side in the second, fifth and sixth.

“He is the fastest pitcher we’ve seen and our five-through-nine hitters couldn’t catch up with him at all,” Marshalltown Manager Brad Clement said.

Johnson threw 116 pitches, 72 for strikes. His fastest pitch was clocked at 73 mph, the equivalent of 91 mph from the regulation distance of 60 feet 6 inches.

Marshalltown (15-2, 0-2) scored a run in the first, but Moorpark came back in its at-bat with a two-out, two-run single by Michael Lopez. The hit followed a double by Aaron Garcia and an intentional walk to Johnson. The runners moved up on a wild pitch.

Johnson, who drew nine intentional walks in the Western Regional last week, was again issued a pass in the third. Lopez came through again, hitting a single to score Garcia, who led off the inning by reaching base on an error.

With one out, Matt Davenport and David Burckin hit consecutive run-scoring singles to extend the lead to 5-1. Moorpark banged out 10 hits, perhaps the best antidote to Johnson’s intentional walks.

“If everyone hits like they are capable, it takes the pressure off of Erik,” Manager Hector Garcia said. “Today we did that.”

Marshalltown pulled to within 5-3 in the fourth when Ryan Stotts smacked a hanging curve for a two-run homer, but Garcia answered with a two-run shot in the bottom of the inning.

The home run was Garcia’s first in tournament play, and he beamed as he gave his father a high five while rounding third. Garcia scored three runs batting in front of Johnson and Lopez.

“I didn’t think it would make it out, but when it did I got a big smile,” Aaron Garcia said.

Frowning until his third at-bat was Johnson, who has grown weary of the intentional walks. On a 3-and-0 count he finally saw a pitch close and tore into it, whistling a low line-drive double that short-hopped the left-field wall with a loud thud.

“We’re back in the hunt,” Johnson said. “I think we’ll play well the rest of the way.”