Summerlin South Are U.S Champions, To Face Taiwan in Little League World Series Championship

Connecticut battled back with aggressive baserunning. S.J. Taxiltaridis scored on a bouncer in the third to cut the deficit to 3-1, and the Fairfield squad threatened again in the fifth with two on and one out. But a base-running mistake led to a costly rundown, and Gallegos finished the inning with his eighth strikeout.

Nevada pulled away late, scoring four insurance runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by Cutter Ricafort’s two-run single.

Taiwan’s Shutout Strength

In the international semifinal at Lamade Stadium, Taiwan leaned on dominant pitching once again. Liu Wei-Heng allowed just four hits and struck out seven across 5⅓ innings as Taipei notched its third shutout of the tournament, blanking Aruba 1-0.

The game’s only run came in the third inning when Chen Shi-Hong walked, advanced on a passed ball and single, then scored on an errant throw. Aruba pitcher Jayderick Wederfoor minimized further damage, but Taiwan’s pitching depth carried the day once more.

Aruba made a final push in the sixth, putting two runners in scoring position with two outs, but Chen Qi-Sheng struck out Prinze Kingsale to end the game.

Championship Showdown

Sunday’s championship features a clash of styles. Nevada’s timely hitting and grit against Taiwan’s deep, polished pitching staff. Taiwan is chasing its 18th Little League World Series title and first since 1996 after falling short in last year’s final. Nevada, meanwhile, is looking to capture the state’s first ever championship.

Taiwan manager Lai Min-Nan confirmed Lin Chin-Tse, who can touch 80 mph, will start the final. Nevada skipper T.J. Fechser acknowledged the challenge ahead:

Really haven’t taken a moment to data dump right now on Taiwan,” Fechser said. “They’re a great, standout group of kids.”