The Little League World Series saw a true rarity on the second day of play on Friday from Williamsport, Penn., with Canada pulling off something that hadn’t been done in 51 years.
Little League World Series scores and bracket 2016: Japan loses in 1st round for first time in 51 years
Rob Carr/Getty Images
The Canadian team, from Hastings Community Little League in Vancouver, British Columbia, outlasted the Chofu Little Leaguers from Tokyo, Japan, 10-4 on Friday, thanks to a strong game from Loreto Siniscalchi. He was not only 2-for-4 with a home run at the plate, but also struck out 13 while allowing just one earned run in 5⅔ innings for Canada in the win.
It was an historic win for Canada in that Japan, the winner of the Little League World Series in 2015 and four of the previous six years, had not lost an opening-round game in the tournament since 1965.
Canada moves on to play the team from Seoul, South Korea, on Sunday evening, while Japan plays Caribbean on Saturday in an elimination game. South Korea, representing Asia-Pacific, beat the Little Leaguers from Willemstad, Curacao, representing Caribbean, 3-0 on Friday.
That latter game was memorable in the first inning, when Curacao’s pitcher Jurrangelo Cijnte walked four batters pitching left-handed, then switched to his right hand to complete the frame.
A switch-PITCHER at the #LLWS? Yep.
— Little League (@LittleLeague) August 19, 2016
VIDEO: https://t.co/ki3bsdAZXW pic.twitter.com/NRrZlYJoQd
On the United States side of the bracket, the team from Johnston Little League in Iowa, representing the Midwest, beat the West Little Leaguers from Chula Vista, Calif., 5-1 in the opening round. The win for Iowa included a cool moment, with JT Garcia hitting a home run while his mom was getting interviewed by ESPN.
Now, that is timing:
Mom gets interviewed while her son smashes a home run.
— Little League (@LittleLeague) August 19, 2016
You've got to see this: https://t.co/5l2QphHeMs pic.twitter.com/MHCHwMboHd
The kids from Bowling Green, Ky., representing Great Lakes beat the team from San Antonio, representing the Southwest, 11-1 in the final game on Friday. Midwest will play Great Lakes on Sunday in the winners’ bracket, while West plays Southwest in an elimination game on Saturday.
Bracket
Source: Little League Baseball
Friday scores
Canada 10, Japan 4
Midwest 5, West 1
Asia-Pacific 3, Caribbean 0
Midwest 11, Southwest 1
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