Taney keeps on rolling: Philadelphia 8, Newark 4

Winning Philadelphia baseball wasn't happening in Washington, DC yesterday, but it was taking place in Bristol, Connecticut.  There, the Taney Dragons beat up on the Newark (Delaware) National, winning 8-4.

The Taney Dragons, if you haven't been following, are the traveling 12 and under team for Taney Little League, one of the city's little league organizations based in Center City (26th and Pine).  The Dragons won the state championship in July and are now playing in the regional competition.

They took the first game Saturday 11-1 against the Maryland state champs.  The game ended in the fourth inning thanks to the mercy rule.

Yesterday, they clobbered the Delaware state champs, a team that had scored 11 runs in its first game of the regional tournament.  They did it behind the superb pitching of Mo'ne Davis, one of only two girls in the entire regional competition.  Mo'ne gave up only 1 unearned run through 5 innings, striking out 10.  She was, by all accounts, dominant against Delaware's best.

By the time she took the mound for the sixth, it was garbage time, as her team was up 8-1.  She tired and allowed 3 runs that inning before being taken out for reaching the Little League pitch count, but her dominance was the story of the day.

For five innings she made them look silly, stymieing an offense that posted 11 runs in its regional opener.

"I just was throwing strikes," said Davis, a 13-year-old who is one of only two girls playing in the regional. "We needed that win, so I had to go out there and do my best and try to get the win for my team."

"She looked terrific; it's not an uncommon sight," Taney manager Alex Rice said. "She had her A game, which she usually does, and she won the game for us."

With the win, Taney is 2-0 in the group play part of the regional competition.  Depending on what other teams do today and tomorrow, Taney could make it to the semifinals (starting Friday) before they take the field for their next game, tomorrow night against the New York state champs.

To put this in perspective, a win in the regionals means they go to the Little League World Series in Williamsport.

Sounds like, if they get there, Mo'ne Davis is going to be a big reason why.