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Winners meet Sunday at Lamade Stadium for International World Series championship
By Arnie Leshin
One thing that proud Japan has going for it is avenging the recent 10-0 rout by South Korea, expect that what sounds good might fall short this time.
The team from Tokyo (3-1) did recover from that, but then had to nip Puerto Rico, 1-0, Thursday to make it to the Saturday Little League International championship game versus the unbeaten (3-0) squad from South Seoul.
Usually, the teams from Japan just dominate each game, but this group hasn’t been anything special, with only one run scored in their last two starts.
That’s the International final to be played at Volunteer Stadium. Across the street is Lamade Field to host the USA final matching unbeaten West Region Honolulu, Hawaii, with the Southeast Region winner from Peachtree City, Geo, also on Saturday.
The two winners meet on Sunday for the International World Series championship won last year by Japan.
While Hawaii (3-0) has been dominating with all the key ingredients of pitching, hitting, fielding, and alertness on the bases, the Georgia kids have not had an easy game, and this includes the Thursday 7-3 elimination victory over the Mid-Atlantic Region New York team in the semifinals.
Even West had to go some, like 11 innings, to ease by Southeast, 2-0, on a 2-run home run by Aukai Kea in the last of the 11th. With Ben Traxler in relief of starter Jansen Kenty, and having hit lead-off man Manu Lau Yong with a pitch, up stepped Kea to knock the ball over the fence in left field.
This alone should set the stage for the title game.
SE has been in every game. It came from behind to edge Southwest, 7-6, and pieces together a 4-3 triumph over Great Lakes, so it is 4-1, and has played a tough schedule. It trailed Great Lakes 4-0 and Southwest 5-0, and shut down Midwest, 3-0.
The premier question is who’s pitching? In West’s 10-0 romp over Mid-Atlantic, it started Aukai Kea and he went fourth innings, allowing just one hit, striking out six and walking one. Hawaii then sent three other relievers to the mound when the game got out of hand. Its 11-hit parade was again powered by Sean Yamagochi. He homered with two aboard, doubled in another run and added an RBI single.
But Southeast can not be taken lightly, and the West should remember the 2-0 game that could have gone either way. It has a number of hurlers it could start, and so does Georgia with Kenty, Tai Peete, and Bo Walker.
SE also has a well-balanced lineup, adds speed, and fancy fielding. West matches this, and that’s why the previous game was so close.
It is rare to see Japan in this position, but Asia-Pacific has been the best of the International field this time. A 10-0 loss for Japan is newsworthy, and who knows if Japan is good enough this time to avenge this. It was outhit, 11-1, against South Korea and were behind 6-0 after the first two innings.
After that, it manufactured into a rout. Japan replaced some starters early and went through four different pitchers, while South Korea showed class and there were no celebration signs until the final out. This is similar to the classic politeness seen by Japan through the ages.
So now it’s down to the Final Four. Will Japan repeat for its third title in five years or will there be a new champion?
