SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — The Little Leaguers from Japan are playing textbook baseball.
Strong pitching, solid defense and potent bats have carried the team from Tokyo to a berth in the international final at the World Series following a 4-1 victory over Panama on Thursday.
Kotaro Kiyomiya homered in the first, and starter Ryuji Osada struck out seven.
The left-handed Kiyomiya displayed prodigious power for a 13-year-old slugger. His blast landed nearly halfway up the hill beyond the right-field wall, about 310 feet from the plate.
Panama finally got on the board in the fifth after Edwin Nieto hustled around first to score on a double by Daniel Cruz and an error.
But Osada got the next batter to ground weakly to short to end the threat.
Texas and Tennessee play the nightcap in the U.S. bracket.
