The Little League World Series U.S. and International finals are locked in, setting the stage for two absolute bangers. Impending weather even forced schedule adjustments, but nothing could stop the incredible young talent from earning their championship berths.
USA Championship: Ohio Gets Its Shot at Redemption
Ohio is officially headed to the United States championship for only the second time in state history, and their first trip since 2021! They absolutely rolled over Iowa with a 7-1 victory at Lamade Stadium. This team from Hamilton West Side came out swinging, dropping a four-run first inning that set the tone. Bob Frazier blasted a three-run triple that felt massive, right after Jack McAdams kicked things off with an RBI single. Starting pitcher Walker Osborne got a 4-0 lead before he even threw his first pitch, and he stayed locked in, tossing a complete game with four strikeouts and only one run allowed through six innings.
Now for the showdown: Ohio faces Nevada, and get this, it’s a rematch! Nevada won their Aug. 21 game 6-5, which was Nevada’s only real close call in the whole tournament so far. The Henderson squad has been tearing it up, outscoring Washington and Iowa 19-6 in their last two games. But Ohio is red-hot too, bouncing back from that loss with five straight wins and outscoring opponents 39-6 over that stretch. This championship is gonna be intense!
International Showdown: Japan’s Ace Ready For Curaçao
Over in the International bracket, Japan punched its ticket to the final with a 4-1 win against Nicaragua. This marks Japan’s first appearance in the international championship game since 2019, and they earned it on the back of some absolutely stellar pitching. Shinnosuke Ijima was a beast on the mound, racking up 11 strikeouts in a complete game victory. He allowed just one run on four hits over 87 pitches. Both teams’ pitching was lights out early, with three scoreless innings to start. Nicaragua broke the drought in the top of the fourth with José Martínez’s RBI single, but Ijima wasn’t just dominating on the mound, he helped himself at the plate, tying the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth! Then Rui Tobata and Tensei Yazawa sealed the deal in the fifth with back-to-back RBI doubles to make it 4-1. Ijima finished the game like a boss, striking out all three hitters he faced in the sixth.
Japan now goes up against a Curaçao team that has been on an absolute tear, outscoring their three opponents 18-3. And yeah, you guessed it, this is another rematch! Curaçao already beat Japan 6-0 on Aug. 21. Can Japan’s ace Ijima lead them to revenge?
The International Championship between Curaçao and Japan kicks off Saturday, August 29 at 12:30 p.m. ET, followed by the United States Championship between Nevada and Ohio at 3:30 p.m. ET. Then on Sunday, August 30, it’s the Third-Place Game at 10 a.m. ET, leading up to the biggest game of all, the World Championship at 3 p.m. ET. You do not want to miss these games, folks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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