The teams from Taiwan and Las Vegas, Nev. won the International and United States brackets, respectively, and will meet for the Little League Baseball World Series title on Sunday in South Williamsport, Pa.
The Tung-Yaun LL squad from Taiwan and representing Asia-Pacific, blanked Aruba, representing the Caribbean, 1-0, while the Summerlin South LL (Mountain region) led from the start and upset Fairfield, Conn. LL (Metro region), 8-2.
Taiwan, which lost in the title game to Florida in 2024, is looking for its 18th championship, but its first since 1996. Las Vegas will attempt to win the first LLBWS title for the state of Nevada.
Taiwan 1, Aruba 0
Liu Wei-Heng allowed only four singles and one walk in 5 1/3 innings and Chen Qi-Sheng retired the final two hitters to blank Aruba.
The Aruban pitching tandem of Jayderick Wendefoor and Jeter Filiciana allowed only three hits in six innings, but Wendefoor fell victim to an unearned run in the third inning.
Chen Shi-Hong led off the third with a walk, moved to second base on a passed ball and third on a single by Ho Fu-Yi. Muhammad Zaman hit a ground ball to third, which was mishandled by Liam Pena Caraballo, allowing Chen Shi-Hong to score.
Wendefoor retired the next three hitters, two on strikeouts to limit the damage.
Aruba threatened in the bottom of the sixth, getting runners on first and second with one out. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners up, but Chen Qi-Sheng fanned Prinze Kingsale to end the game.
Nevada 8, Connecticut 2
Garrett Gallegos starred on the mound and at the plate as Nevada avenged a 7-3 loss to the Fairfield LL squad on Wednesday.
Gallegos allowed two runs (one earned) and struck out seven in five innings against a potent lineup. He also singled and scored in a three-run first inning and hit a solo home run in the fourth.
Nevada loaded the bases against Luca Pellegrini in the first and Brooks Fechser scored the first run on a wild pitch. Then, Grayson Miranda hit a single to right field, plating two runs.
Connecticut got a run back in the bottom half of the inning as Jimmy Taxiltaridis drove in his brother SJ Taxiltaridis on a single to third base.
–Field Level Media
Connecticut answered in the bottom of the fourth on RBI single by Dante Madera.
Nevada broke the game open with a four-run sixth inning, capped by a 2-run single from Cutter Ricafort.
Cache Malan joined Gallegos with two hits and two runs for Nevada.
Pellegrini allowed six runs, eight hits, while walking one and fanning three in 5 1/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
