SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT – Two teams coming out of the elimination bracket will play for the world championship of Little League Baseball.
How did that happen? On Saturday El Segundo, California, defeated Needville, Texas, 6-1, and Willemstad, Curacao, shutout Taiwan, 2-0, both of which were undefeated.
The two winners will play at 3 p.m. Sunday for the world title while Texas and Taiwan will play for third place at 11 a.m.
El Secundo avenged a 3-1 defeat to Texas on Monday while Curacao bounced back from a 9-1 loss to Taiwan on Tuesday.
The world series is double elimination until the U.S. and international bracket championships.
Winning California pitcher Louis Lappe struck out 10 and with Brody Brooks had five of the team’s eight hits. One of Brooks’ three hits was a home run.
Curacao scored its two runs in the fourth and Helmir Helmijr with relief help from Jay-Dlynn Wiel held Taiwan to one hit.
Two teams from the loser’s bracket met for the world title in 2021 when Taylor, Michigan, defeated Hamilton, Ohio, 5-2. That was the year no international teams were in the series due to COVID-19.
Two years earlier, River Ridge, Louisianna, shut out Curacao, 8-0, with both of those teams coming out of the loser’s bracket.
SERIES NOTES: Golden Israel-Achumba, a Penn State football offensive lineman, sang the National Anthem before the start of the California-Texas game. He asked Little League if there was an opportunity for him to participate, spokesman Brian McClintock said…Celebrities who have texted or sent videos of support to the El Segundo team include LeBron James, Mike Trout and George Brett. The team’s home field is named for Brett.
