Summerlin South from Nevada has advanced to the championship game of the Little League World Series, securing their spot after defeating Fairfield, Connecticut, 8-2 in the U.S. title game. They will face Taipei (Chinese Taipei) for the championship at Lamade Stadium. This achievement marks the first time a team from Nevada has reached the LLWS championship game, with Mountain Ridge having previously reached the U.S. title game in 2014.
Key player Garrett Gallegos played a pivotal role in Summerlin South’s victory, contributing both offensively and defensively. He scored a run in the first inning and hit a home run in the fourth, widening the lead to 4-1. On the mound, Gallegos pitched the first five innings, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out eight batters.
The team dominated the game early, scoring three runs in the first inning and breaking it open with four runs in the sixth. After recovering from a challenging start, where Gallegos hit two batters, he managed to limit Connecticut to one run in the first inning, capitalizing on strikeouts to end the threat.
Taipei secured their spot in the championship by narrowly defeating Santa Cruz (Aruba) 1-0 in the International championship game. Liu Wei-Heng excelled on the mound for Taipei, allowing only four hits and striking out seven across 5 1/3 innings. Chen Shi-Hong scored the game’s only run on a series of plays involving a walk, a passed ball, and an errant throw.
Taipei aims to secure its first LLWS title since 1996. Historically, Taiwan has been successful in the LLWS, with 17 titles to their name. The championship game between Summerlin South and Taipei will be broadcast on ABC.
