Japan crushes US, wins Little League World Series

Japan celebrates a home run in Sunday’s championship game. (USATSI)

Home-state Lewisberry, Pa., won the United States championship at the Little League World Series in front of 45,000-plus fans in Williamsport on Saturday, but on Sunday they were unable to take the world title, as Japan’s undefeated Tokyo Little League squad brought the lumber (or aluminum, if you will) in an 18-11 victory.

Team USA actually jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the first inning, but it was all downhill from there. Japan battled back and took a 13-11 lead through the third inning. After neither team scored in the fourth or fifth, Japan tacked on five more and made this thing elementary in the top of the sixth.

Japan pounded out 22 hits compared to Pennsylvania’s eight and outscored Pennsylvania 16-1 in the final five frames.

Masafuji Nishijima went 4 for 4 with a double, homer and six RBI to lead Japan while Shingo Tomita clubbed two homers and scored four times. Kengo Tomita added a triple and homer while Yugo Aoki went 3 for 5 with a homer and three RBI.

The USA got a grand slam from Dylan Rodenhaber and a three-run homer from Jaden Henline in the first inning. Braden Kolmansberger went 2 for 4 with a double and three runs scored.

Japan now owns 11 Little League World Series championships, second to Taiwan, which has 17. If all American titles were counted together, however, the USA would have 33.

Pennsylvania has taken home four championships, but none since 1960.

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.