This story is free to read.

Nasty: Good pitching beats good hitting (so far) at LLWS

Fairfield, Conn., pitcher Ethan Righter delivers in the first inning of an elimination baseball game against Jackson, N.J., in United States pool play at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017. Connecticut won 12-2. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) Fairfield, Conn., pitcher Ethan Righter delivers in the first inning of an elimination baseball game against Jackson, N.J., in United States pool play at the Little League World Series tournament in South Williamsport, Pa., Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017. Connecticut won 12-2. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

By Associated Press August 23, 2017 1 min read

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) – Some managers were struck by the power of the tournament’s young hitters headed into the Little League World Series.

Turns out good pitching really does beat good hitting – at least this time around.

Connecticut’s Ethan Righter shut down a New Jersey team on opening day that averaged 10.8 runs in regional play, the best mark of any American teams heading into the tournament. He beat Jackson, New Jersey, again on Wednesday in an elimination game.

Three Greenville, North Carolina, pitchers threw a combined perfect game against South Dakota, while striking out 10 hitters in the contest.

And it only got better from there.

Greenville threw a second no-hitter in its next contest against Rancho Santa Margarita, California.

Michigan manager Jason Hill says the pitching across the regions is better than he’s seen in several years.

___

Matt Martell is a journalism student at Penn State. Penn State is partnering with The Associated Press to supplement coverage of the 2017 Little League World Series.