Nevada has advanced to the Little League World Series title game after defeating Ohio 12-2 in the United States Championship. The team, led by a crucial RBI single from Carsynn Meyer, will face the international champion Curaçao in Sunday's finale.
Meyer, the first girl to play in the U.S. championship game, provided a key hit in the second inning. With the bases loaded, she hit an RBI single up the middle, extending Nevada's lead to three runs. Meyer, who had previously played in an all-girls tournament at Lamade Stadium, expressed excitement about her performance, noting it was "awesome" to get a hit in the championship.
Starting pitcher Owen Guzman was also instrumental, delivering three hits, scoring twice, and pitching solidly for 3 2/3 innings. The Nevada defense played a strong role, turning three double plays, which tied a Little League World Baseball Series record. Manager Cory Edwards praised his team's defensive effort and the pace at which they play.
This marks the second consecutive year a Nevada team has reached the U.S. championship game. A team from Las Vegas won the title last year but lost in the finals. Nevada broke the game open in the second inning, scoring five runs on four singles, two walks, and a hit batter. Guzman contributed to the scoring with a ground ball up the middle that drove in Michael Guerrero.
Guzman also recorded his third hit of the game in the fifth inning, an infield single, and was later doubled home by Brooks McFarland. Ohio's offense was led by Bob Frazier, who had two hits and an RBI. The Ohio team, from Hamilton, felt they ran out of energy after playing additional games to reach the championship.
"Maybe my team needed to play yesterday. We were kind of on a roll and then they outhit us, they put the ball in play, they moved the ball, and three double plays didn’t help us either," said Ohio coach Timothy Nichting. "In my eyes, it just looked like nobody had any zip on our fastballs."
Nevada added two more runs in the fifth inning to secure the 10-run rule victory. Meyer recalled having a premonition of the team's success when she left for an all-girls tournament earlier in the summer. "I definitely thought we could get here because during the practices we had before I left for Williamsport I just knew that we were a special group of players and we could make it very far," Meyer said. Ohio will play Japan in the consolation game.