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Mo'ne Davis makes history as first girl to throw Little League World Series shutout



The legend of Mo'ne Davis, the 13-year-old girl with the 70-mph fastball, continued to grow Friday, as she became the first girl to throw a shutout in Little League World Series history.

She might have grabbed the title of coolest kid in the world in the process, striking out eight and allowing just two hits while getting praised by the likes of Mike Trout and Lil Wayne.

Davis' story had already gotten a lot of play before she threw her first LLWS pitch. She tossed a shutout at Sunday's regional championships to send her team, the Taney Dragons from Philadelphia, to Williamsport. That's a very Clayton Kershaw-like week for Davis: two shutouts, 14 strikeouts and only five hits allowed total in two games.

Davis is only the fourth American girl to play in the Little League World Series and the first since 2004. Now — with her historic performance Friday — she's the gold standard.

Gob wrote:Yes, but can she bowl?

Lord Jim wrote:

Gob wrote:Yes, but can she bowl?

Her fastball is already 70 mph, which means she's more than qualified to play at the professional level...

but can she develop the skills and technique to bowl?

Mo'ne Davis makes history as first girl to throw Little League World Series shutout


...
Davis' story had already gotten a lot of play before she threw her first LLWS pitch. She tossed a shutout at Sunday's regional championships to send her team, the Taney Dragons from Philadelphia, to Williamsport. That's a very Clayton Kershaw-like week for Davis: two shutouts, 14 strikeouts and only five hits allowed total in two games.
....

rubato wrote:Maybe she could take some performance inhibiting drugs, seconal, quaalude, marmite...

Econoline wrote:

rubato wrote:Maybe she could take some performance inhibiting drugs, seconal, quaalude, marmite...

C'mon, Jim...You gotta admit it...

Lord Jim wrote:

but can she develop the skills and technique to bowl?

You mean can she learn how to not be able to get the ball all the way over the plate and to have bounce it to get it there instead?

Yeah, I figure she can probably handle the big challenge of not throwing the ball as far as she can now...

ETA:

BTW, a 70 mph fast ball is nowhere near fast enough for MLB, you've got to be in the 90s to play at that level...

But I believe it's the standard speed for a pro cricket bowler...(or to put it another way, in the United States we have 13 year old girls who can throw as hard as pro cricket bowlers...)

And she can throw at that speed from a standing position. Who knows what speed she could get up to if she was able to get a running start like your "bowlers" do....

Econoline wrote:

rubato wrote:Maybe she could take some performance inhibiting drugs, seconal, quaalude, marmite...

C'mon, Jim...You gotta admit it...

Next up for Taney: Sluggers from Vegas


Taney's #5, Scott Bandura, left, celebrates as he slides home to score the tying run in the bottom of the 6th off of Zion Spearman's triple. It tied the game 6-6. Philadlephia's Taney Little League plays against the 2014 Southwest Region Pearland East Little League on Sunday August 17, 2014 08/17/2014 ( MICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer

By Matt Breen, Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted: August 19, 2014

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - The minivan carrying five Mountain Ridge Little League players and its coach pulled to the side of Ballpark Boulevard late Saturday afternoon, allowing Philadelphia's Taney Dragons to walk past on their way to batting practice.

The team from Las Vegas rolled down the van's windows as players stuck out their hands and high-fived the Dragons. The tournament's last two undefeated teams from the United States will meet on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. with the winner going to the U.S. final. But for now, it is friendly.

Taney punched its ticket Sunday with a thrilling 7-6 victory over Pearland, Texas.

Mountain Ridge, the West Regional champion, rolled past Jackie Robinson West from Chicago, 13-2, on Sunday. The team blasted five home runs, including a first-inning grand slam by Brad Stone. Austin Kryszczuk hit two homers. Brennan Holligan struck out six in four innings but will be unavailable for Wednesday's game against Taney.

Mo'ne Davis, the star pitcher of the tournament, is expected to be back on the mound for Taney on Wednesday.

Las Vegas manager Ashton Cave watched Davis pitch on Friday and said she is "phenomenal." His players have played with girls in the past, so they will not underestimate her. He said his team will play its game and "not fall into the trap" of playing the opponent's game.

"We tell them, 'See ball, hit ball. Throw ball, catch ball. Get us outs,' " Cave said. "If you just take care of the fundamentals of the game, everything else will take care of itself."

If Taney wins Wednesday and Saturday, Davis will be eligible to make her third start of the tournament in Sunday's World Series final. If Taney loses Wednesday, it will play again on Thursday, with the winner moving to Saturday's U.S. final.

Mo'ne Davis strikes out six batters in Little League World Series loss

With Pennsylvania’s Taney Dragons one win away from the U.S. championship game in Williamsport, 13-year-old phenom Mo’ne Davis took the mound hoping for another dominant performance, but Nevada’s high-powered offense forced her off the mound early.

Nevada got on the board in the first thanks to an RBI triple, but Davis rebounded by striking out three consecutive batters and stranding the runner on third.

Philadelphia Phillies GM Ruben Amaro compared Davis with Phillies pitcher Jonathan Papelbon Monday. During the break, ESPN broadcasters said after the first inning that Davis didn’t like the comparison, because “he gives up runs.”

Davis got in trouble in the second inning. With a runner on base, she gave up a home run to Nevada’s Dallan Cave — giving Nevada a 3-0 lead — but recorded another two strikeouts to get out of the inning.

Davis threw 43 pitches through the first two innings, and walked her first batter of the third. After a sixth strikeout of the game, Davis was taken off the mound and moved into the field after 2 and 1/3 innings pitched.

Nevada piled on the runs in the fifth and sixth innings, winning 8-1.

Philadelphia Phillies GM Ruben Amaro compared Davis with Phillies pitcher Jonathan Papelbon Monday