The Star-News offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
Game ends on controversial called third strike with bases loaded
It was an inauspicious first game at the 2026 Little League Baseball World Series for the West Region champion Sweetwater Valley Little League 12U all-stars. After carrying a 15-1 overall record and 12-game winning streak into the 20-team South Williamsport, Pa. tournament, the California District 42 champions were handcuffed by Midwest pitcher Cooper Thissen, whose lead-off home run and no-hit gem (with reliever Anthony Johnson Jr.) lifted Midwest Region Davenport Northwest Little League (Davenport, Iowa) to a 1-0 victory in the teams’ opening game.
Thissen struck out 15 batters in 5.1 innings and allowed four walks and no hits while Johnson pitched the final two-thirds of an inning with two strikeouts, one walk and no hits.
The Davenport Northwest duo combined for 17 strikeouts, five walks and no hits while facing a combined 23 batters.
The game was a pitcher’s duel as Sweetwater Valley starter Noah Kirk struck out 13 batters in 4.2 innings with two walks and two hits, including Thissen’s game-winning home run. Leo Gonzales pitched one third of an inning with one strikeout. The SVLL duo combined to strike out 14 batters and issued two walks and two hits while facing 20 batters.
Thissen and Kirk combined for 28 strikeouts on the hill. The pitchers from both teams racked up 31 strikeouts in the game at Lamade Stadium.
Midwest remains in the winners bracket while Sweetwater Valley must now take a more meandering route to the United States Division final through the losers bracket.
Both of Iowa’s hits came in the first inning. Thissen golfed a low offering by Kirk over the center field fence on the third pitch of the game for an ominous beginning. Teammate Kannon Kane then hit a one-out single.
However, Kirk silenced the Iowans by striking out the next two batters.
Those would be the only two hits Midwest would make in the game but they proved fortuitous.
It was apparent from the get-go that few runs would be scored in the game.
Thissen struck out the side in the top of the first inning.
Kirk rebounded by striking out the side in the bottom of the second inning.
Thissen logged 14 strikeouts through five innings while Kirk had 11 strikeouts in four frames.
When the Iowa pitcher did make a mistake, he quickly corrected it.
Sebastian Pino drew a two-out walk in the top of the second inning for West but Thissen struck out the next batter.
Asher Giglio drew a walk to open the top of the third inning for SVLL. But Thissen struck out the next three batters.
Kirk kept humming along as well. He reached 85-pitch limit with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Gonzales took over on the mound and struck out the first batter he faced to close out the frame.
Thissen entered the top of the sixth inning having thrown 76 pitches. SVLL needed to weather nine more pitches from the Iowa starter to dislodged him from the game.
Pino opened the inning with a walk but the next SVLL batter, Grant Milke, struck out swinging for Thissen’s 15th K in the game. With Giglio at bat, Pino took second base on a wild pitch. Giglio then walked on a 3-2 pitch to put two runners on base — the most in any inning allowed by Thissen.
Thissen reached 90 pitches (pitchers are allowed to compete a batter once the 85 pitch limit is reached) and left the ball in Johnson’s hands.
Julian Sevilla drew a walk to load the bases with one out, placing the tying run just one base away. Mateo Ruiz was now at the plate. He struck out with the base paths still full to leave SVLL down to its last out. James Griffin came to bat and worked the count to 3-2. A walk would tie the game. A basehit would put Sweetwater Valley in the lead.
But Griffen struck out looking to end the game.
The called third strike by the umpire elicited grumbling from all the fans gathered at the 3N1 Sports viewing party in Eastlake when television replays were shown.
The ball appeared outside. The SVLL batter appeared in the process of tossing his bat aside to take a stroll to first base with a game-tying RBI. Just when it seemed the West champs had started to solve the Midwest pitching, the game abruptly ended.
Some might call it a controversial ending. But the history-making no-hitter was preserved.
It was just a total bummer for SVLL fans.
Thissen finished the contest with 90 pitches, 59 strikes. Johnson faced three batters in two-thirds on an inning with one walk and two strikeouts.
Thissen and Johnson combined on the no-hitter, allowing five walks and 17 strikeouts. Thissen pitched 5.1 innings with four walks and 15 strikeouts.
Kirk was near perfect in absorbing the tough luck loss. He notched 53 strikes on 85 pitches in 4.2 innings with two hits, two walks and 13 strikeouts.
Sweetwater Valley will have little time to reflect on the opening game setback when they return to the field Saturday at 4 p.m. PT to take on Southeast region champion Phenix City from Alabama. Phenix City was one-hit in a 2-0 loss to Northwest region champion Soundview (Tacoma, Wash.) in Wednesday’s Opening Day schedule.
Kinley and Ryker Rasmus combined to limit Northwest to three hits. Tyler Landry and Artie Hinzman scored runs for Soundview.
Midwest advances to take on the winner of Friday’s Mid-Atlantic-Metro winner on Sunday.
With Thursday’s total wipeout due to heavy rain, eight games were played on Friday, starting at 6 a.m. PT.
Mexico 7, Australia 1
Three Mexico pitchers limited Australia to five hits while taking advantage of only three hits of their own to open the International bracket 1-0.
Jorge Fonseca scored three runs for the Municipal de Tijuana team while Matias Garcia scored twice. Oscar Mateo Montañez and Gareth Garcia each scored single runs. Garcia led Mexico with two RBI.
Australia committed three errors in the game. Aussie pitchers also issued seven walks.
Mexico scored three runs in the first inning and tacked on two more runs in the third inning to take a 5-0 lead. Australia scored its run in the top of the fifth inning but Mexico countered with two more runs in the bottom of the frame.
Fonseca allowed two hits with six strikeouts in three innings while Esteban Bautista allowed three hits and struck out four batters in 2.1 innings. Paul Lavenant struck out one batter with no hits in two-thirds of an inning.
Aaron Dare allowed two hits and allowed five runs with three strikeouts in three innings. Edin Becirevic allowed one hits and two runs in two frames.
Mexico next plays on Sunday against Latin America, which used a sixth-inning rally to edge Panama, 6-4, on Friday Australia drops to a loser’s bracket game against Canada on Saturday.
LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES SCOREBOARD
Wednesday, Aug. 19
Latin America 2, Caribbean 1
Northwest 2, Southeast 0
Asia-Pacific 7, Canada 0
Metro 2, New England 1
Thursday, Aug. 20
Games postponed due to inclement weather
Friday, Aug. 21
Mexico 7, Australia 1
Mountain 6, Great Lakes 5
Curacao 6, Japan 0
Midwest 1, West 0
Latin America 6, Panama 4
Northwest 4, Southwest 3
Asia-Pacific 5, Europe-Africa 0
Metro 3, Mid-Atlantic 1
Saturday, Aug. 22
Japan 10, Caribbean 1
Southeast 12. West 2
Canada 4, Australia 0
Great Lakes 10, New England 0
Sunday, Aug. 23
Mountain 5, Northwest 0
Latin America 8, Mexico 4
Midwest 6, Metro 0
Curacao 1, Asia-Pacific 0
Monday, Aug. 24
Canada 3, Panama 2
Great Lakes 6, Southwest 1
Japan 3, Europe/Africa 2
Southeast 6. Mid-Atlantic 5
Tuesday, Aug. 25
Japan 3, Mexico 1
Southeast 4, Northwest 2
Canada 5, Asia-Pacific 1
Great Lakes 5, Metro 2
Wednesday, Aug. 26
Curacao 12, Latin America 3
Mountain 14, Midwest 6
Japan 7, Canada 3
Thursday, Aug. 27
Great Lakes 7, Midwest 1
Japan 4, Latin America 1
Saturday, Aug. 29
United States final: Mountain vs. Great Lakes
International final: Japan vs. Curacao
Sunday, Aug. 30
Championship game: United States champion vs. International champion
Third place game: TBA
Sweetwater Valley Watch Party
Friday, Aug. 21 at 3N1 Sports in Eastlake
Photos by Jon Bigornia
FROM CHEERS TO SHOCK
It was fun while it lasted
Saturday was the first round of elimination play at the 2026 Little League Baseball World Series in South Williamsport, Pa. Twenty teams started play, four were officially knocked out of contention to make it to the championship game on Aug. 30.
Sweetwater Valley’s vaunted 12U all-stars was one of them.
In the international bracket, Canada eliminated Australia, 4-0, while Japan ousted the Caribbean region entry by a score of 10-1.
In the United States bracket, Great Lakes pounded New England 10-0, and, in the last game of the day, Sweetwater Valley, representing the West region, dropped an uncharacteristic 12-2 run-rule decision to Southeast (Phenix City, Alabama).
The dream of winning a world championship is over for the California District 42 champions. Great Lakes and Southeast remain in contention, albeit in the loser’s bracket.
After being no-hit on Friday against Midwest, the Southern California state champions proved they could get a hit in the hallowed timbers of Lamade Stadium when Leo Gonzales stroked a two-out double in the top of the first inning. But he remained stranded there after teammate Grant Mielke grounded out to end the frame.
Sweetwater Valley sent Isaac Ramirez to the mound in Game 2. Ramirez was the winner in the 6-0 semifinal win over Hawaii en route to winning the West Region tournament.
Phenix City matched the California Section 7 champions with a hit as Kinley Rasmus lined a one-out single to left field. A fielder’s choice made one out but Casen Smith followed with a single on a hard grounder to place two runners on base. But Ramirez struck out the next batter, Cam Lee, to ended any threat.
With elimination on the line for either team, caution seemed to be on order.
Urijah Berklite started for the Alabamans. He struck out one batter in the first inning but ran afoul of an error in the second inning that led to a 1-0 SVLL lead. Tempe Tran advanced to second base on the one-out error and scored on an ensuing single by Sebastian Pino.
Asher Giglio followed with a single to advance Pino into scoring position at second base. Both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch – Pino to third base and Giglio to second base. But Mateo Ruiz flied out to prevent any further damage on the scoreboard.
Ramirez opened the bottom of the second inning by issuing back-to-back walks to Cedric Harrison and Brooks Cameron. A fielding error on a fly ball hit by Ryker Rasmus loaded the bases with none out. Lorenzo Quintero followed with a sacrifice fly to tie the game, 1-1, and Jerry Taylor brought in another run when his bunt went for a throwing error to score Cameron and advance Rasmus to third base. Taylor took second base on the play.
Layton Burt followed with another bunt. Ramirez fielded the ball and threw to first base but Rasmus scored the third run of the inning for Phenix City.
Two walks and two errors.
3-1 Southeast
Now playing from behind, it was obviously do or die time for Sweetwater Valley.
Teagan Cochran singled with one out in the top of the third inning to get something much needed going. However, Cochran was erased at second base on a fielder’s choice and Berklite struck out the final batter in the inning.
Sweetwater Valley was down to its final three at-bats needing to make up two runs to stay in the championship hunt.
Make that needing three runs to tie after the Alabama boys (and girl) scored another run in their half of the third inning to move in front 4-1. Easton Allen singled and scored on a double by Kinley Rasmus, with Rasmus taking third base on the throw.
Ramirez struck out his counterpart for the first out in the inning but Smith followed with a RBI single.
5-1 Phenix City.
The deficit grew from there on a two-run home run by Lee for a 7-1 Bama lead. The inning continued
on an error and hit batter. Fortunately a double play erased any further damage after it had already been done.
It was not looking good at all.
But the game was not over. Sweetwater Valley had not trekked across country for nothing. They did their best to fight back.
Ramirez helped his own cause with a two-out single in the top of the fourth inning and raced around the bases on a triple by Tran to reduce the deficit to 7-2. Berklite walked Pino to keep the inning alive and it got even more interesting when Berklite hit Giglio to load the bases.
But the Phenix City hurler reached back to strike out Julian Sevilla as the Southern Californians wasted a golden opportunity to get back into the game.
Gonzales took over pitching duties for SVLL in the bottom of the fourth inning. Quintero drew a lead-off walk and Taylor bunted him to second base. Burt singled to put runners at the corners with one out, Cooper Champion followed with a sacrifice fly for the second out and an eighth run.
Allen singled home a ninth run and took third on the throw. It kept getting worse than better.
Tran relieved the usually-reliable Gonzales. Kinley Rasmus extended the hurt with a walk to place runners at the corners again. Berklite was hit by a pitch to load the bases and a fielding error plated the third run of the inning and a 10-2 lead.
Back-to-back walks to Lee and Harrison brought in two more runs and a 12-2 run-rule victory for Southeast.
After crushing Northern California state champion San Ramon Valley and Hawaii by scores of 16-4 and 11-3 at the preceding West Region tournament, turnabout proved fair play for the D42 champs. Sweetwater Valley finally found out what it was like to be on the painful end of a lopsided score. It must have been humbling.
It certainly wasn’t a pretty way to exit the Little League Baseball World Series.
It definitely wasn’t a pretty sight for SVLL fans used to commanding performances from their team.
But all 20 teams entered in his year’s tournament are champions in their own right. Something has to give somewhere, somehow.
Sweetwater Valley finished the double-elimination bracket 0-2. At 1-1, Southeast next plays the Mid-Atlantic region champion on Monday while Great Lakes plays Southwest in another pair of elimination games.
Phenix City generated 12 runs on eight hits, six walks and committed one error. Sweetwater Valley rapped out six hits and committed four costly errors.
Lee led Southeast with three RBI while Kinley Rasmus and Allen each scored twice. Pino and Tran each had one RBI for SVLL.
Berklite pitched four innings with six strikeouts to pick up the win.
Sweet Home Alabama.
PHOTO GALLERY BY LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL
Southeast 12, West 2
Saturday, Aug. 22
