LLWS: Greenville, NC drops heartbreaker in U.S. Championship game

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP). — Mark Requena hit a two-run, go-ahead home run in the sixth inning and Lufkin, Texas, overcame a five-run deficit to beat Greenville, North Carolina, 6-5 on Saturday and earn a spot in the Little League World Series championship.

Greenville was previously undefeated in the tournament, having given up just one run and one hit in three games — both to Lufkin, on Wednesday — before things changed in a hurry Saturday. Pinch hitter Clayton Wigley’s two-run homer to center started the rally for Lufkin in the fourth inning.

Lufkin will face Japan, which cruised through the international bracket and shut out Mexico 5-0 earlier Saturday, in Sunday’s championship.

Lufkin fell behind 5-0 to Greenville in the third when JoeJoe Bryne hit a two-RBI single, then scored on Chase Anderson’s groundout to second.

The Southwest region champs started chipping away at the lead in the fourth inning with Wigley’s home run.

Malcolm Deason made it a one-run game in the fifth when he hit an RBI single, then scored on a wild throw by the catcher, Bryce Jackson, who tried to catch Deason stealing third.

Japan 5, Mexico 0

Keitaro Miyahara smacked a leadoff home run to left-center, capping a nine-pitch at-bat, as Japan beat Mexico to claim a spot in the Little League World Series championship.

Mexico unraveled after Miyahara’s game-opening homer, giving up three more runs in the first.

If Japan wins the tournament title Sunday, it will be the country’s fifth championship in eight years and 11th overall.

Japan pitcher Riku Goto tossed 5 ²/₃ shutout innings and struck out 13, which was the most for a pitcher in a game this tournament.

Cox Media Group