The Little League Classic is over. The Tigers defeated the Yankees, 3-2, on Sunday night. Now that that's over, we can get back to what Williamsport is really all about: The best 12-year-old baseball players in the world at the 2024 Little League World Series.
Sunday brought a myriad of eliminations, but today will determine the four teams left standing in both the U.S. and international winners brackets. That's right: The winners of today's games will be just three straight wins away from the Little League World Series championship, where they will go head-to-head with the winners of the opposing bracket for Williamsport immortality.
Follow along live as we bring you scores, highlights, and the latest updates from today's LLWS games.
Cuba is going to have a mountain to climb in the bottom of the sixth after Lin Sheng-Kai drilled a base hit to left center with two out to extend Taiwan's lead to 6-2.
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The pitching change did not do Cuba any favors. Another walk would load the bases, and before you knew it, Taiwan's starting pitcher Chiu Wei-Che delivered a rocket to center field that barely scraped over the wall. That's all he needed though. In one swing of the bat, Taiwan went from down one, to up three. They lead 5-2.
As if on cue, Cuba decided to move off Yans Espinosa. In his place came Dennis Zamora, who walked each of the first two players he faced. That was all Cuba manager Everaldo Machado needed to see to make another change. At first, Machado wanted to go with Deivy Hernandez, but Hernandez wasn't eligible to pitch until Tuesday, having already thrown 74 pitches in a win earlier in the tournament.
Instead of Hernandez, Alejandro Vazquez came in from short to pitch. He'll look to keep Cuba's slim lead.
Although Cuba got off to an early lead, it's been almost nothing but crickets since, with both Cuba's Yans Espinosa and Taiwan's Chiu Wei-Che have been lights out. Taiwan has been able to add a run to bring the game within a single run, but it's been strikeouts and weak grounders all over the yard. Heading into the fifth inning, Cuba leads 2-1.
Cuba wasn't threatening as much in the second inning, but with two outs and a man on first, they lined a single into right field. At least, it would've been a single if Taiwan's right fielder didn't come up ready to get the runner at first. That's exactly what happened. A rare 9-3 putout ended Cuba's second inning.
It's still 2-0 Cuba heading into the third.
With a runner on first, Cuba's Deivy Hernandez dribbled a soft grounder toward second base. Starting pitcher Chiu Wei-Che underhanded the ball to first, but it bounced off the first baseman's glove. That put runners on second and third with no outs. Cuba took advantage with Leonardo Junco drilling a single to left field to drive in the game's first run.
That was followed with a sac fly in foul territory down the right field line. After all that, Cuba still had a runner on second with only one out. Cuba would not be able to bring home more runs, but a two-run lead in the first is nothing to scoff at. Heading into the second, it's 2-0 Cuba.
Things got off to a rocky start for Cuba starting pitcher Yans Espinosa. In fact, Taiwan was able to get the bases loaded with just one out. A shallow fly ball and groundout to first kept Taiwan off the scoreboard though.
Cuba will take their first swings, with the game still scoreless.
With one out and a runner on first, Hawaii's Jet Pontes struck out and in the middle of the strikeout, the runner on first, Leyne-Santos took off for second. He was tagged out at second, and Nevada got the win!
Nevada moves to 2-0 on the tournament, winning with just five hits compared to Hawaii's nine. They'll take on the winner of the Southeast-Southwest matchup later tonight.
Some pitching miscues and a hit batter led to a bases-loaded scenario for Nevada. They cash in on a walk to take the lead heading into the bottom of the sixth. Hawaii has a tall task in a tightly contested ball game so far. Nevada has a 3-2 into what might be the final half inning.
Hawaii doesn't feel pressure. With just six outs to play with, Hawaii was able to manufacture a tying run with a ground ball after maneuvering a runner to third. Hawaii nearly took the lead later in the inning, but a great play by second baseman Gunner Beranek kept the score tied. It's 2-2 heading into the sixth.
After the clutch double from Brextyn Hong, he may have just cost his team a run. With a runner on first for Nevada, a ground ball to Hong at third ended up in right field after an errant throw. What should've been two outs with a runner on first turned into first and third with one out.
Liam Sparks would follow that up with a sharp ground ball to first. Hawaii first baseman Hayden Takahashi had trouble getting it right away, and that allowed the runner from third to score. Hawaii would get out of the inning soon after, but the damage had been done. In a low-scoring affair, a one-run lead is massive for Nevada. They lead 2-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth.
Some very clutch hitting has tied this contest up! With two outs, Hawaii's Evan Tavares was able to snag a base hit. No damage, but then Brextyn Hong smacked a double to the left field wall. That drove in Tavares, and although the team wasn't able to drive Hong in, it allowed Hawaii to knot the game at 1 heading into the fifth.
Despite Hawaii's dominance in the tournament so far, it's been Nevada constantly threatening to break away in this game. The top of the fourth started off with a single down the left field line. Then, a one-out single pushed the runner to third.
Fortunately for Hawaii, pitcher Gauge Pacheco was able to get the second out via strikeout, and then made a nice play on the mound to get Parker Soranaka at first after he tried to bunt for a single. Hawaii still trails 1-0.
Nevada takes a 1-0 lead over Hawaii after Luke Lentz laced a line drive down the left field line with the bases loaded. The runner from second attempted to score, but Hawaii was able to gun the runner down at the plate. Nevada still has two on with runners at the corners and two outs for Liam Sparks.
Facing a very tough Hawaii team, Nevada starting pitcher Gunnar Gaudin escaped an early jam, allowing Hawaii to put runners on first and third with no outs. Gaudin then forced Hawaii's hitters to popout, strikeout, and flyout in that order. Somehow, Nevada stays tied with Hawaii, 0-0 after one.
Yuki Tsuji slams the door with two strikeouts book-ending a single in his relief of Iwashita. Japan hands Venezuela its first defeat since the team was assembled in March and advance to the semifinals of the international bracket. They'll play the winner of Chinese Taipei vs. Cuba on Wednesday.
Venezuela is still alive in the tournament. They'll play Aruba on Tuesday in the elimination bracket.
Facing a full count with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, the left fielder fights off a foul ball then knocks a base hit back up the middle. Venezuela has the tying run aboard and the winning run at the plate with two outs.
The Japanese starter reaches his pitch limit and finishes off his last hitter with a strikeout looking. He finishes the day with 5 1/3 innings pitched, one run allowed, one walk and 11 strikeouts. Japan brings in Yuki Tsuji with a 2-1 lead and two outs to get to close out the game.
It'll all come down to the bottom of the sixth. Yepez allows one single in the top of the frame but nothing else. Venezuela faces a one-run deficit entering the final half inning with a trip to the international winners' bracket semifinals on the line.
Iwashita struck out three batters in the fifth inning, bringing his total to 10 on the day. His last one is a strikeout looking to strand runners on the corners with two outs, preserving Japan's 2-1 lead entering the final frame.
Leading off the bottom of the fifth inning, Freitez hammers the first pitch he sees to deep right-center field. He narrowly misses a game-tying home run but settles for a double to get something going for his team.
Venezuela executes the first-and-third baserunning defense perfectly. With Tyuyoshi Ito attempting to steal second after a walk, catcher Jesús Díaz fakes out Sho Tanaka with a hard throw back to the pitcher. As Tanaka tries to take off for home, Yepez catches the ball and runs him down in the third baseline.
It's still 2-1 Japan, but Venezuela eliminates a serious scoring threat in the top of the fifth.
A Yepez fastball narrowly misses Sora Okamoto's head and smacks against the backstop. Iwashita scores on the wild pitch and gives Japan the 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth.
After Mora allows the first two runners on in the fifth inning (HBP, walk), Yepez – the hardest-throwing pitcher in this year's tournament – takes the mound for Venezuela. ESPN clocks his first two fastballs at 76 and 79 miles per hour, respectively.
The pitchers' duel continues. Against the top of Venezuela's order, Iwashita gets a swinging strikeout, a fly out and a ground out. It's still 1-1 as this game heads to the final two frames.
This game is shaping up to be a pitchers' duel. In a second inning of work – and his first full inning – Mora strikes out two batters swinging and gets a fly out to right field to keep the score tied, 1-1.
One batter after a run scored on a difficult grounder to third, Honryo smothers another hard-hit ball his way and steps on third to record the third out. Japan gets out of the inning with one run allowed.
With runners on the corners and two outs, Vicheria smacks a grounder past the third baseman to score José Pérez from third. It ties the game up at one run apiece.
Mora, who hit 80 miles per hour with his fastball against Mexico on Friday, enters for starter Biarreta in the third inning. With two runners on and two outs, the reliever strikes out the first batter he faces looking on four pitches. It's still a one-run game in favor of Japan as Venezuela prepares to bat in the bottom of the third.
The starter is up to five strikeouts in two innings. He got one swinging and one looking before inducing a ground out to finish a 1-2-3 second inning. Japan still leads, 1-0, heading into the third.
A Taiyo Honryo double and Sho Tanaka walk preceded a Yuzuki Ozawa double that scored one run for Japan in the top of the second inning. Biarreta avoided any more trouble, but it's 1-0 Japan as the bottom of the second begins.
Iwashita, Japan's ace starting pitcher, gets two swinging strikeouts and a strikeout looking to work through a scoreless first inning. His only bit of trouble was a fly-ball double to center field that the fielder misplayed. This game is still knotted at zero through one.
Venezuela's starting pitcher threw 15 pitches and struck out a batter looking in a clean first inning.
The two teams have yet to lose in the international bracket in Williamsport. Something has to give with a trip to the international bracket's semifinal on the line.
Arnold Martha hammers a two-RBI double to the wall in left-center field, bringing in enough runs to hit the run-rule mark and walk it off for Aruba.
The Caribbean Region champions continue on in the elimination bracket and will play the loser of Monday's Japan-Venezuela game on Tuesday. Australia is eliminated with their second loss of the tournament.
An Antonie Croes single made it 9-0 Aruba, and it's late enough in the game for the 10-run rule to take effect. So with two runners on and one out in the bottom of the fourth, Dobb takes the mound for Australia.
Three wild pitches in a Diliano Raven at-bat end up allowing two more runs to score for Aruba. It's 8-0 for the Caribbean Region champs with still just one out in the fourth.
Toledo hammers a line drive right past Gainsford's head and into center field. It brings home another run for Aruba, which now leads 6-0.
Kransen is able to go inside-out on the second pitch he faces, knocking an opposite-field base hit to right field that brings home two runs. It's 5-0 Aruba.
Gainsford, the 23rd girl to ever play at the LLWS (and the only one this year), enters to pitch in the bottom of the fourth with the bases loaded and one out. She is the eighth girl to ever pitch at the LLWS.
Australia gets runners on the corners with two outs, but Croes keeps the shutout intact by inducing a ground out to first base to end the inning. It's still 3-0 Aruba.
Kennedy fouled off six straight pitches to survive an 0-2 count to lead of the fourth inning for Australia before knocking a base hit to center field for a single.
Two ground outs bookend a pop out from Aruban batters, giving Whittle his first 1-2-3 inning of the day in the bottom of the third.
Arnold Martha hits a 35-pitch limit carried over from Sunday, so Aruba's manager makes a pitching change. Martha finished with five strikeouts, no walks and one hit allowed in 2 2/3 innings. Antoine Croes enters in relief and strikes out the first batter he faces.
Excellent defense from Australia defined the bottom of the second inning. After a base hit and bunt single, Aruba had runners on first and second with no outs.
Then, Australian third baseman Ethan Cross dove to his right, snagging a ground ball before stepping on third for the first out. One batter later, Cross got another putout when catcher Fletcher Dobb threw out a runner trying to steal third. Pitcher Noah Whittle finished up the inning with a strikeout looking.
Sunday's suspended game resumed in the top of the second inning with two outs, a runner on first for Australia and an 0-2 count to Will Bennett. Aruba's pitcher, Arnold Martha, threw one pitch – a looking strike – to end the inning as the game resumes.
All 39 games of the Little League World Series will be broadcast on one of ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC, with streaming options including ESPN+, the ESPN app and Fubo, which offers a free trial. Coverage begins at 10 a.m. ET.
Stream the Little League World Series with Fubo (free trial)The LLWS started with ten teams in both the international and U.S. brackets. Since the start of the LLWS, seven teams have been eliminated. That number should be eight, but due to weather delays during the elimination game between Aruba and Australia on Sunday, that game was suspended. That game will resume Monday.
As it stands, Aruba leads Australia, 3-0, in the top of the second inning.
The LLWS championship game is slated for Sunday, Aug. 25, at 3 p.m. ET. The third-place consolation game will take place the same day at 10 a.m. ET.
The international and U.S. championship games — which serve as the semifinals to Sunday's championship game — will take place on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. ET, respectively.
The Little League World Series is split into two brackets: the United States bracket and the international bracket. Each bracket will play out their own individual tournaments, with the winner from each bracket facing each other in the championship.
The U.S. and international brackets are double-elimination brackets, meaning a team must lose twice before it is eliminated from the tournament.
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Teams from the United States have dominated the Little League World Series as of late, having won each of the last five dating back to 2017. The last international team to win the tournament was Japan, who beat Lufkin, Texas 12-2 in just five innings in the 2017 final.
Results date back to 2010 LLWS.
Here is the full 2024 LLWS bracket, courtesy of the Little League World Series:
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