With the Little League World Series title game looming Sunday, the Endwell, New York, players planned on taking a break from baseball if only for one evening.
Advertisement
Junho Jeong (1-2) gave up two runs on four hits and struck out nine for South Korea (4-2). NY scored first on a bloop single in the fourth while adding another run in the same inning on a passed ball.
South Korea threatened in the final inning. That included a 4-2 win over Goodlettsville, Tenn., in Saturday’s United States championship game.
It was an outstanding pitcher’s duel to start the game, as neither team was able to get onto the scoreboard.
Immediately after his team’s win, manager Heesu Ji hinted that he and his players wouldn’t put much stock into the USA final result.
“The curveball is usually my biggest pitch because I know if I’m down in the count I can throw that and get back up and maybe get them out with that pitch”, Mancini said. “They hit the ball well”. He later came around to score the first run of the game on an RBI bloop single by Conner Rush. When a late throw went to third, Harlost eased into second. His efforts in the US championship aside, he notched the final out in the Mid-Atlantic Regional title game to push his squad into the World Series.
“But it’s just another game and I felt confident going in”.
And in the top of the sixth, South Korea put two runners on, but Harlost fanned Minho Choi to end it, and the celebration was on.
Ryan Harlost allowed one run during a complete game effort, striking out eight.
South Korea cut the lead in half the following inning when pinch-hitter Yoomin Lee drove a pitch over the right-centerfield wall for a home run. Abbadessa broke up the righty’s no-hit bid with a single to center. He leads his team with a.625 on base percentage.
It was in the bottom of the fourth that the scoreless tie was finally broken. Teams from Seoul have never lost when reaching the finals with wins in 1984, 1985 and 2014.
Advertisement
As mentioned earlier, it is the first time since 2011 that a United States team has won the championship, and it is the first time since 1964 that a NY team has won the title. Mid Island from Staten Island did it last in 1964.
