Teams to Watch
- New England: CT Fairfield American (Qualified)
- Mid-Atlantic: NJ Toms River vs PA Council Rock Newtown
- Southeast: GA Columbus (Qualfied)
- Great Lakes: OH West Side (Qualfied)
- Midwest: MN Plymouth/New Hope (Qualfied)
- Southwest: Texas, Pearland White (Qualified)
- Northwest: WA Auburn (Qualfied)
- West: S.CA Ocean View vs. HI Waipio
- Canada: BC Little Mountain (Qualfied)
Today's Televised Game: (Note: ESPN also streams all games live. Start time PST).
- West Final: 6 PM
Rundown
New England: The score and headlines tell the story.
- "For what it’s worth: Cumberland Little League's amazing story is truly heartwarming."
- "Cumberland National Little League loses in N.E. final, 1-0."
- "Despite the loss, fans are proud of players."
- "Fairfield American headed to Williamsport for Little League World Series."
Great Lakes: From the Hamilton Journal News - "Saturday’s pitching was walk-free. Cole Heflin threw 62 strikes and 20 balls for West Side, and Mitch Owens totaled 52 strikes and 19 balls for Illinois." It took Hamilton West (OH) six innings to open a can of whoop-&$$, but open it they did. Bloopers, infield hops, small game stuff that is the bread and butter of winning seasons. But it worked to defeat Moline National (IL) 4-0.
Midwest: What would have been a story is if the boys from South Dakota pulled off an upset. The blood-letting started in the second inning as Plymouth/New Hope took advantage of weak pitching but it was a three-run homer in the fourth that sealed Canyon Lakes' fate and smothering their three runs.
Northwest: Idaho fielded a very good team. Sports writer John Murphy called them "plucky." But Washington was a whole lot better. The hit better, pitched better and ran the bases better. On a walk, one of Auburn's base runners took advantage of the pitcher looking toward third base assuming he would stop at first but he kept on running making it to second base before anyone could do anything about it. A new baseball play - a two-base walk! North Boise's Tyler Oldenberg did have a brief moment of glory when he his a home run that seems to launch into orbit clearing the concession stands and leaving the ESPN announcers shocked and awed. But it couldn't win the game for them. Boise lost to Auburn 13-3 in the fourth invoking the 10-run/4 inning mercy rule.
West: The rematch of the week proved the Southern California and Hawaii front-runners are for real. The clashes between Napa and Ocean View and between Waipio and North Scottsdale had the suspense of a daytime TV soap opera. Lots of smiles and tears but no real surprises. This is simply the prelude to the clash of the titans we've all been waiting for. Sunday, 5:30 p.m. I'll be there to see who Wins the West!
MEA (Middle East/Africa): The sons of Americans working in Saudi Arabia won the tournament against Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Kuwait City (Kuwait), Cape Town (South Africa) and Reverend John Foundations, Kampala, Uganda. And that's where the story takes us - to an amazing story of sportsmanship.
"The Saudi Arabians lost to Uganda 9-3 in pool play, but the winning team’s manager was banished from his side’s next game for allowing a 10-year-old, who was ineligible, to coach third base, in violation of Little League rules, and the leaderless Ugandan boys lost to Kuwait 9-6."The coach of the Dubai team, Kelly Jones, said the Ugandan team was devastated. So, you know what the kids did? In a gesture that characterizes the Little League spirit, the Dubai team gave the Ugandans the shirts off their back and their caps.
Paul Oberjuerge writes in Abu Dhabi The National, “I get a little choked up thinking about it,” said Kelly Jones, a coach with the Dubai team. “When our boys gave their shirts, their caps to the kids from Uganda, it was just a great moment.”Sportsmanship is one of the most important values that we can learn, teach and demonstrate every day of our lives.
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