West Side Little League earned its fifth trip to the Little League World Series — and first since 2010 — with a 12-0 victory in five innings against Hinsdale Little League (Ill.) on Friday in Whitestown, Ind.
The star of the game was Jonathon Vogel, who threw a no-hitter while striking out 13 batters and walking four. He struck out the side in the first four innings and had one strikeout in the fifth.
Vogel also hit a two-run home run to start the scoring in the first inning and went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored.
West Side maintained a 2-0 lead until scoring 10 runs in the top of the fifth. Four of the runs scored on bases-loaded walks.
West Side will play Taylor North Little League (Mich.) for the regional championship at 4 p.m. Saturday. The game will be televised on ESPN. Both teams have already qualified for the Little League World Series, which will take place in Williamsport, Pa., from Aug 19-29.
Against Hinsdale, Levi Smith led West Side with three hits. Maddox Jones drove in two runs. Cooper Clay scored three runs.
West Side lost its tournament opener 2-1 to Warren County South (Ky.) on Sunday to drop to the loser’s bracket in the double-elimination tournament for 12-and-under players. It stayed alive with a 2-1 victory against Brownsburg (Ind.) on Tuesday.
Warren County also fell to the loser’s bracket when it lost 5-1 to Hinsdale. West Side and Warren County were scheduled to play again Wednesday, but Warren County had to forfeit the game because of a positive COVID-19 test.
