Tough loss for Needville at Little League World Series

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, Ll Vita Loca Photograph, Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

By Taylor Hart
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA (August 27, 2023) A day after having its championship hopes dashed, Needville was unable to rebound in the third-place game at the Little League World Series.

Taiwan jumped out to an early lead and won 10-0 on Sunday at Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, handing Needville its second consecutive loss after the team from the Houston area won its first four games at the international youth baseball tournament, reaching the U.S. final.

Needville, a town of about 3,000 residents in Fort Bend County, ended up placing fourth in its debut appearance at the Little League World Series.

Needville could not quite crack Taiwan pitcher Fan Chen-Jun, who struck out nine batters in a four-inning shutout, with the 10-run mercy rule shortening the game by two innings. Needville nearly scored in the top of the fourth to extend the game, when DJ Jablonski singled to center field with two runners on base and two outs, but Corbin Riddle was thrown out at home plate by Lin Wei-Hong to end the inning and the game.

Jablonski, Riddle, Jagger McRae and Heath Filipp, who doubled in the third, accounted for Needville’s four hits against Fan. He also led Taiwan offensively, finishing 2 for 2 with a home run, four RBIs and two runs scored, while Liu You-An went 2 for 2 with a double and three RBIs.

Announcement of cancellation of 2020 Little League World Series

Video courtesy of Little League International, via Facebook Live 

Little League World Series cancelled for 2020

Photo by Darla Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved

WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA (April 30, 2929) Little League International announced today, via a Facebook Live broadcast, that the Little League World Series is cancelled for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also stated that regional and championship tournaments are also canceled.  The statement also included all Little League divisions, including softball. The cancellations, however did not include the 2020 regular seasons.

Little League president Stephen Keener stated there was reason for optimism that teams could play this spring and summer, depending on restrictions in states and localities.The Little League World Series has been played each year since the first tournament in 1947. The 202e dition was to be the 75th edition of the tournament.

In addition, he announced it  would be impossible to hold the events with the ongoing restrictions on large gatherings and travel.

The LLWS was scheduled for August 20-30, 2020.  All division tournaments, regional championships and world series are scheduled to resume in 2021.

BREAKING NEWS: Post Oak Little League heads to Williamsport and LLWS

File photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved

WACO, TEXAS (August 8, 2018)  Post Oak Little League (Houston, Texas) is headed to Williamsport, PA and the Little League Word Series with an 8-0 win over Tulsa National LL. Post Oak outscored their opponents in Waco (at the regional) 43-5.

Post Oak became Texas East champion for the first time in Post Oak’s 62 year history and advanced to the Waco Regional. The team is made up of Parrish Facciponte, Ethan Goldstein, Andy Guy, Matthew Hedrick, Richie Klosek, George Kugle, Justin Michaelis, Carter Pitts, Kaleb Rook, Ryan Selvaggi, Andrew Stover, Cade West, and Charlie Wylie 

The Little League World Series will kick off on August 16.

Lufkin falls to Japan in Little League Baseball World Series Championship

By Robert H Kelly

Photo by Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2017 TexSport Publications

WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA (August 27, 2017) The Little Leaguers from Lufkin, Texas jumped out to an early lead with two home runs in the first inning, but that was not enough to overcome the bats of Japan, at they lost by the score of 12-2 in the Little League World Series at Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Chandler Spencer scored first on a solo home run over the center field fence on the first pitch of the game. Teammate Hunter Ditzworth also connected for a home run down the right field line to complete Texas' scoring.

After that, the Japanese went on a scoring frenzy, tallying  three runs in the second inning, four in the fourth, and five in the fifth. After going up by ten runs in the fifth inning, the "ten-run rule" was invoked and Japan declared the Little League Baseball World Series Champions. Lufkin, who was representing the Southwest Region of the United States, going 4-1 in their bracket while downing the Southeast Region 6-5 on Saturday afternoon to take the United States title. They beat Great Lakes 5-1 on August 17 and New England 6-3 on August 20 before falling to Southeast 2-1 on August 23. They came back and won their next two games; 14-4 against New England on August 24 and 6-5 versus Southwest on August 27 to win the USA title.

Tsubasa Tomii earned the win for Japan. He threw five innings, surrendering two runs, three hits, striking out nine, and walking one. Chip Buchanan took the loss for Southwest, throwing 3.1 innings, surrendering five runs, seven hits, striking out three, and walking one.

Southwest Little League downs Southeast Little League to take US Title

Photo by Kristine Kelly, TexSport Publications
Copyright 2017, All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 TexSport Publications

WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA (August 26, 2017) Coming back from a 5-0 deficit after three innings, Lufkin posted two runs in each of the final three innings to down North Carolina by the score of 6-5 to win the Little League Baseball United States Championships at Lamade Stadium in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on Saturday, August 26, 2017. As a result of the win, they will face Japan on Sunday, August 27, for the Little League Baseball World Series International Championship.

North Carolina, who was representing the Southeast Region, jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three complete innings; scoring two runs in the second inning and three in the third. Lufkin, who is representing the Southwest Region, tallied their first two runs in the fourth inning on a two run home run by Clayton Wigley. Mark Requena homered in the sixth inning to add to Lufkin's scoring streak.

Right hander Chip Buchanan received the win for Lufkin; throwing 1.1 innings in relief while striking out two. Collin Ross started the game for Lufkin. He tossed 4.2 innings, surrendering five runs, eight hits; while striking out five.

The players from Texas will face a Japanese team that swept through the international bracket with a 4-0 record. They defeated Australia 8-0 on August 18, followed by an 4-1 win over Asia-Pacific on August 20. Their next victory was a 10-0 drumming of Canada on August 23. They closed out their international schedule with a 5-0 win over Mexico to win the International title earlier in the day (August 26). Game time is set for 3 PM CDT on Sunday, August 27.

Pearland’s Little League World Series ends with loss to Chicago, Illinois

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved
 

By Mike Stockman
Staff Correspondent
Copyright 2014 TexSport Publications

WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA (August 19, 2014) Pearland’s season ended in a 6-1 loss to the team from Chicago, Illinois in the 2014 Little League World Series at Howard J. Lamade Stadium on Tuesday, August 19.

Joshua Gabino hit an RBI double in the 3^rd for Southwest’s only score.

Walter Maeker III was the losing pitcher with six strike outs in 3.6 innings.

Less than two months have passed since little leaguers from around the world set on a global quest for being the best. Pearland, Texas represented the Southwest in United States by winning regionals with a 5-0 record. They were one of eight teams to represent thousands of teams in the United States.

In the Little League World Series, there are eight teams that form the United States Bracket and eight teams selected internationally to form the International Bracket. Pearland was one of the top teams in the world and the performance during the four games is proof.

In the four games played, Pearland used eight pitchers: Brandon Silwinski, Bryce Laird, Clayton Broeder, Jonathan Newman, Landon Donley, Matthew Adams, and Walter Maeker III - who combined for a total of 30 strike outs in just over 22 innings pitched.

Throughout the series, there was one double play recorded by Pearland which involved Laird, Layne Roblyer, and Adams.

Three home runs were hit in four games. Roblyer hit two for a total of five RBIs and Cole Smajstria hit the third for a series total of four RBIs.

Michael Groover and Presley Smith had two RBIs while Laird, Hunter Dopslauf, Gabino, and Adams record one RBI each.

Christian Terranova, Broeder, Smajstria scored 4 runs each during the series, Roblyer scored three times, and Silwinski, Laird, Adams, and Groover each scored twice.

Walter Maeker III scored once in five times at bat.

Southwest finished the Little League World Series with a record of 2 – 2.

Pearland advances in win over Northwest 11-4 at Little League World Series

By Mike Stockman
Staff Correspondent
Copyright 2014 TexSport Publications

Williamsport, Pennsylvania – (Monday, Aug. 18) Wild pitches and passed balls help secure an 11-4 Southwest victory against Northwest in the 2014 Little League World Series Elimination round at Howard J. Lamade Stadium on Monday, August 18.

As the games get closer to the Championship round, teams are having challenges in eligibility at the pitching position. Northwest, represented by Lynnwood, Washington used five pitchers in their final game allowing five runs to be scored due to five wild pitches.

Southwest (Pearland) started the game strong on offense by stealing home on a wild pitch and on defense by a diving catch from Shortstop Matthew Adams to end the first inning.

In the third inning, Pearland’s Layne Roblyer hit a three run home run.

In the fifth, Southwest produced a rarely seen double play to end a rally brought on by Northwest.

Landon “Landchops” Donley received the win. He pitched three innings, allowed three runs, and struck out four batters.

Southwest will play Great Lakes on Tuesday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m. EST. The game can be followed on ESPN.

Pearland falls to Philadelphia in Little League World Series action

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved

32,148 Fans Attend Game 16 of Little League World Series

By Mike Stockman

Staff Correspondent
Copyright 2014 TexSport Publications

WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA  (August 17, 2014)  32,000-plus fans attended Game 16 of the 2014 Little League World Series at Howard J. Lamade Stadium where Mid-Atlantic, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania came from behind in the bottom of the sixth with two outs to beat Southwest (Pearland, Texas) by the score of 7-6 on Sunday, August 17, 2014.

Mid-Atlantic led 3-2 going into the fifth. In the fifth, Southwest’s Cole Smajstria smashes a three-run home run deep over center field fence, putting Pearland on top 5-3. After a pitching change for Mid-Atlantic, Pearland scored one more run.

Mid-Atlantic scored two runs in the fifth bringing the score to 6-5.

In the bottom of the sixth with two outs and a runner on base, Mid-Atlantic’s Zion Spearman hit a hard triple to center field.

Spearman scores the winning run when the next batter Tal Shanahan reaches base on an error.

Mid-Atlantic’s Mo’ne Davis became the sixth female with a base hit at the Little League World Series out of a total of 18 girls who have played since 1974. In Mid-Atlantic’s opening round game, Davis was the winning pitcher. She will be available to pitch in Wednesday’s game against Las Vegas, NV at 7:30 p.m. EST.

Southwest will play Lynnwood, WA on Monday, Aug. 18 at 3:00 p.m. EST. The game can be watched on ESPN.

Adams gets first win in Pearland's win at Little League World Series

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved

By Mike Stockman
Staff Correspondent
Copyright 2014 TexSport Publications

WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA (August 15, 2014) Over 16,000 games were played by more than 7000 teams from 80-plus countries in 40 days. Now there are 16 teams left to play in the 2014 Little League World Series at Howard J. Lamade Stadium.

In the opening round, Southwest, represented by Pearland, Texas beat NewEngland, who is represented by Cumberland, Rhode Island, in a close game by the score of 6-4 on Friday, August 15, 2014.

The game ended when a deep ball hit by New England’s Addison Kopack to Right-Center field was chased down and caught for the last out by Southwest’s Clayton Broeder with the tying run on base.

Matthew Adams received the win for Southwest while Landon Donley was credited with the save.

Adams threw 89 pitches in 4.2 innings, allowing only one run, and seven strikeouts. He will be eligible to pitch again on Wednesday.

Pearland was in Williamsport at the World Series in 2010. Cumberland made their last appearance in 2011.

Southwest will play Mid-Atlantic on Sunday, Aug. 17 at 7:00 p.m. EST in Game 16. This game can be followed on ESPN2.