It’s a full day of winners’ bracket motion within the Little League World Series in in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Each team that takes the field on Monday, Aug. 17 sports activities a minimum of one victory within the 2025 event. Now, these groups will sq. off throughout a slate of 4 video games, with the losers pressured to come back again and play on Tuesday, whereas the winners get a day earlier than their subsequent video games.
The motion on Day 6 begins with an Worldwide bracket recreation between Japan and Venezuela, representing the Latin America area. The second Worldwide recreation comes early Monday night when Chinese language Taipei of the Asia-Pacific area faces Aruba of the Caribbean area.
Within the U.S. bracket, the Southeast area staff from South Carolina takes on the Mountain area staff from Nevada within the second recreation of Day 6. Day 6 ends with a barnburner because the Metro area staff from Connecticut meets the Midwest area staff from South Dakota.
USA TODAY Sports may have full protection of every of the 4 LLWS video games on Monday. Observe alongside for highlights and scores from each recreation:
2025 LLWS: Meet the 20 teams playing in Williamsport
With runners at first and second and just one out, Taipei made a daring transfer, having Tsai Yu-Ge steal third on a delay. The throw was shut, however Yu-Ge’s leg simply barely acquired in earlier than the tag.
Aruba pitcher Jayderick Wederfoor would find yourself putting out the batter, however the remaining strike would get by the catcher, permitting Yu-Ge to attain. With out that delayed steal, Taipei would nonetheless be tied, however as a substitute, they head to the underside of the primary up 1-0.
Nevada knew they wanted to outlast Giulietti to provide themselves the very best probability to win. Lastly, within the seventh inning, after Giulietti was pressured out, Nevada did not simply decide up their first hit, they picked up their second and the game-winning run.
With two outs and a runner in scoring place, Cutter Ricafort smacked a single to proper subject. The ball was misplayed by proper fielder Ryder Tillitz, permitting Griffin Vargas to attain from second. After six no-hit innings, South Carolina comes up heartbreakingly brief, falling 1-0.
Nevada’s subsequent recreation will likely be Wednesday, August 20, towards the winner of the opposite U.S. recreation occurring in the present day. In the meantime, South Carolina strikes to the loser’s bracket and can face Hawaii tomorrow.
After South Carolina bunted the ghost runner over to 3rd to start out the highest of the seventh, D’Ambrosio confronted the tall activity of making an attempt to carry that runner. He did simply that, putting out each Brody Miller and Ryder Tillitz to finish the inning.
D’Ambrosio’s pleasure was evident, as he bounced off the mound, shouting the entire option to the dugout. Nevada wants only one run to take this recreation residence. In reality, two sacrifice bunts might win Nevada the sport with out recording a single hit. Would not that be one thing?
Giulietti had simply 11 pitches to work with so as to push this recreation to further innings. After falling behind 3-1 to the primary batter of the inning, Giulietti bounced again to strike out two of the three hitters he confronted and was by no means pressured out of the sport, that means we’re heading to extras for the primary time within the 2025 LLWS.
Giulietti sadly might not earn the win regardless of throwing a no-hitter, however his effort won’t go unnoticed. Regardless, this recreation simply turned that rather more necessary for South Carolina as a loss would pressure the staff to play a number of video games within the loser’s bracket earlier than Giulietti can return to the mound on Saturday.
With Gallegos out, Luke D’Ambrosio wanted to close the door to provide his staff a shot at successful earlier than heading into extras. With two outs, South Carolina reached base by way of an infield single and a stroll, placing the go-ahead run in scoring place. D’Ambrosio got here via although, putting out Brady Westbrooks to return his staff to the dugout with an opportunity to win.
Clearly, will probably be robust to attain proper now for Nevada. South Carolina pitcher Joe Giulietti nonetheless has 11 pitches to work with and has solely allowed one baserunner, by way of a stroll. Nevertheless, if Nevada can waste a number of pitches and pressure Giulietti out, maybe they will achieve the benefit they have been looking for all recreation.
After 5 and one-third stellar innings for Gallegos, Nevada is swapping pitchers, choosing Luke D’Ambrosio as a substitute.
Gallegos did properly to restrict this South Carolina squad, tossing 58 of 85 pitches for strikes, and holding the Southeast reps to simply 5 hits and one stroll whereas putting out 12. The sport stays scoreless, however Gallegos will likely be unavailable to pitch till Saturday, which could not be an enormous concern if Nevada wins right here, however a loss on this recreation could possibly be an enormous drawback as Nevada can be pressured to trudge via the loser’s bracket with out their ace.
Giulietti can thank his shortstop, Preston Ware, from not panicking after initially muffing a ball hit to him. Ware calmly gathered the ball and threw to first to beat the runner. No-hit continues to be alive and Giulietti picked up his tenth strikeout – so now each beginning pitchers have over 10 strikeouts within the recreation. Nonetheless scoreless after 5 innings.
South Carolina has peppered Gallegos for 5 hits, however none of them have became runs but. Conversely, Gallegos is stopping South Carolina with strikeouts (12 to be precise). We’re scoreless after the highest of the fifth inning.
South Carolina and Nevada have put collectively top-of-the-line video games of the Little League World Sequence this yr. Via 4 innings, we’re scoreless largely attributable to each beginning pitchers. Nevada’s Garrett Gallegos has scattered 4 hits, allowed one stroll however extra importantly has 10 strikeouts to maintain South Carolina off the scoreboard. In the meantime, South Carolina’s Joe Giulietti has matched that efficiency with 4 shutout innings and has allowed just one stroll and has struck out 9 Nevada batters.
We have seen only a few baserunners to date in the present day. South Carolina’s Joe Giulietti has confronted seven batters and has 4 strikeouts. Nevada’s Garrett Gallegos has confronted 9 batters and has 4 strikeouts. We’re scoreless after two innings.
Nevada’s Garrett Gallegos and South Carolina’s Joe Giulietti every confronted 4 batters within the first inning. Giulietti needed to throw 26 pitches although in comparison with Gallegos’ 16 pitches. No rating after one inning.
South Carolina (1-0), which defeated final yr’s LLWS champion within the Southeast Area, performs its second recreation in Williamsport whereas Nevada (2-0) is one in every of two 2-0 groups.
Juan Reyes’ unofficial nickname? How concerning the “shutout king”. The Venezuela ace labored via a 26-pitch backside of the sixth inning however Japan nonetheless wasn’t in a position to rating on him regardless of getting a runner in scoring place. He completed with an entire recreation three-hitter with 9 strikeouts, together with three within the backside of the sixth inning. Venezuela makes some Little League World Sequence historical past by changing into solely the sixth staff to have shutouts in its first three video games within the LLWS, based on ESPN. South Dakota in 2021 was the final staff to have three consecutive shutouts to start out their LLWS journey. That yr, South Dakota completed in fourth place. Now, Venezuela stays within the winner’s bracket and strikes on to Wednesday’s 1 p.m. ET recreation towards Chinese language Taipei/Aruba winner. In the meantime, Japan drops into the loser’s bracket and can face Mexico at 1 p.m. ET Tuesday in an elimination recreation.
Reyes has thrown 11 shutout innings to date in Williamsport. He had an entire recreation four-hitter with 9 strikeouts in a 5-0 victory versus Puerto Rico on Wednesday, August 13. He is blanked Japan for 5 extra shutout innings to date whereas solely giving up two hits however he is acquired six strikeouts.
Hayaski is preserving Japan’s possibilities alive by tossing his second 1-2-3 inning. General, he is recorded 9 outs (got here on in aid within the third) on solely 18 pitches. Reminder, the winner of this winner’s bracket recreation would solely want yet one more win (Wednesday, August 20 at 1 p.m. ET) to make it to the Little League World Sequence Worldwide Championship recreation on Saturday, August 23 at 12:30 p.m. ET
Reyes has tossed 4 shutout innings for Venezuela to date in the present day. He is allowed two hits and one stroll however has struck out 5 batters as his nation leads 4-0 after 4 innings.
Hayashi, who got here on in aid within the third inning, tosses a three-pitch inning within the fourth (come out, come out and groundout) to maintain Venezuela off the bases for the primary time in the present day.
Reyes get a 1-2-3 inning by way of a strikeout, a fly out and one other strikeout and he is retired eight batters in a row. It’s nonetheless 4-0 Venezuela after three innings.
Venezuela pressured Japan to go to its third pitcher of the sport and the runs saved coming. Juan Reyes’ RBI-single and Jesus Gomez’s sacrifice fly pushed the result in 4-0 after the highest of the third inning.
Japan’s supervisor will need to have seen one thing he did not like with the best way Itsuki Masuyama was throwing as a result of he solely confronted two batters earlier than being lifted. Masuyama (5 pitches) is on the market on Tuesday, if Japan loses.
Starter Tensei Yazawa went two and one-third innings earlier than Masuyama took over. If Japan loses, Yazawa (37 pitches) would not be eligbile to pitch Tuesday. If Japan wins, Yazawa might return to the mound on Wednesday.
Reyes acquired the primary two batters to swing on the primary pitch, each led to outs. The second out was an internet gem by Lopez, the beginning centerfielder. He reached up into the air whereas backpedaling to make a improbable catch. Lopez then strikes out the ultimate batter within the backside of the second inning.
Venezuela will get its fourth and fifth hit to start out the highest of the second inning after which a wild pitch by Japan’s Tensei Yazama put two runners in scoring place with one out. Nevertheless, Yazama acquired a fly out to finish the menace.
Japan acquired runners to first and second with one out however Venezuela’s catcher deal with a excessive chopper in entrance of the plate with ease to get the second out and Juan Reyes struck out the ultimate batter to finish the underside of the primary inning.
Venezuela masses the bases with three straight singles after which will get two runs on a fielder’s selection play adopted by a throwing error to first base.
Two undefeated worldwide groups start Monday’s video games from Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It is going to be Venezuela (2-0) dealing with Japan (1-0) at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The primary recreation on Monday, Aug. 18 begins at 1 p.m. ET with the ultimate recreation beginning at 7 p.m. ET. All video games happen in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in both Howard J. Lamade Stadium or Little League Volunteer Stadium.
All instances Jap
The Little League World Sequence started Wednesday, Aug. 13 and concludes on Sunday, Aug. 24. Video games will likely be introduced throughout ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+. Viewers may also watch with Fubo, which provides a free trial for brand new customers.
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