For the first time since 1964, New York has won the Little League World Series. The team from Endwell, New York, won Sunday's title game 2-1 over the team from Seoul, South Korea (box score). South Korea was looking for their second title in the last three years.
Pitching dominated Sunday's championship game. Starters Ryan Harlost and Jonho Jeong traded zeroes until the fourth inning, when third baseman Conner Rush blooped a run-scoring single into shallow left field. A passed ball by catcher Wontae Cho brought home another run to give New York a 2-0 lead.
The New York club did not have a runner reach base until the fourth inning, when infielder Jude Abbadessa laced a one-out single to center field. Abbadessa later scored the game's first run on Rush's single. Yoomin Lee swatted a solo home run in the top of the fifth to cut New York's lead to 2-1.
Jeong struck out nine in his five innings of work. Harlost fanned eight in his six innings for the complete game win. The game featured only eight hits total, and no player had more than one. New York recorded all three of their hits in that decisive two-run fourth inning.
New York beat the team from Goodlettsville, Tennessee (NY 4, TN 2) for the United States Championship on Saturday. South Korea, meanwhile, beat the team from Aguadulce, Panama (KOR 7, PAN 2) to win the International Championship. Panama beat Tennessee in Sunday morning's consolation game (PAN 3, TN 2).
The last New York team to win the Little League World Series was a club from Staten Island back in 1964. A combined New York/New Jersey team was the runner up in 1966. South Korea Beat Chicago for the 2014 Little League World Series championship. Taiwan leads all teams with 17 Little League titles, though 34 different teams from the United States have won the tournament.
Iconic Howard J. Lamade Stadium in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, has been home to the Little League World Series since 1959. The park sits 40,000 fans when you include seating on the outfield berms.
