Little League World Series scores and bracket: South Korea, Chicago advance to championship game

South Korea will play for its third Little League World Series Championship on Sunday when it takes on Chicago. Both teams advanced to the championship game with wins on Saturday, though the victories came in very different fashions.

South Korea punched its ticket first, using a seven-run second inning to knock off defending champion Japan 12-3. Japan struggled on the mound and at the plate. South Korea scored its seven runs in the second inning on just two hits, with three walks playing a major role. Japan didn’t record a hit until the third inning and didn’t score a run until the fourth inning, when the score was already 8-1 in favor of South Korea.

There was considerably more drama in the United States final, with Nevada and Chicago going back-and-forth. Nevada opened the game with three runs in the top of the first inning, only to have Chicago answer back with three in the bottom of the frame before adding another in the second to take a 4-3 lead. Nevada went back on top with two runs in the fifth inning to make it 5-4, but Chicago would respond again. A three-run bottom of the fifth gave Chicago a 7-5 lead. Nevada was unable to muster anything in the sixth inning, culminating as Chicago turned a double play to end the game. Then the celebration was on, with Chicago heading to the championship game.