Nicaragua’s Little League baseball team, known as the Leoncitos, will face Japan on Thursday morning in an elimination game at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, according to tournament reporting from La Prensa and Canal 4. The winner advances to the international final against Curazao.
Matchup Schedule and Weather Adjustments
According to La Prensa, the game is scheduled to start at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Tournament officials adjusted the start time due to forecasted inclement weather throughout the day in Williamsport. The contest serves as the second and final opportunity for Nicaragua’s 12-and-under representatives to secure a spot in the international championship game on Saturday, as reported by Canal 4.
Path to the Elimination Game
Nicaragua enters the matchup with a 3-1 tournament record, having previously defeated Panama, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic, according to Canal 4. However, the Leoncitos dropped their previous game 12-3 to Curazao on Wednesday. In that contest, Curazao capitalized on a 10-run second inning before Nicaragua answered with three runs in the fourth frame, noted La Prensa and Canal 4.
Japan advanced by defeating Canada 7-3 on Wednesday, powered by a three-run home run from batter Taiga Yumitori, La Prensa reported. Japan’s tournament record stands at 3-1 after rebounding from an opening 2-1 loss to Curazao, followed by wins over the Dominican Republic (10-1) and Mexico (3-1), according to game logs detailed by La Prensa.
Starting Pitching Matchup
Manager Gabriel Mayorga’s squad will send left-hander Clemente Sevilla to the mound as the starting pitcher against Japan, according to La Prensa and Canal 4. Sevilla previously struck out 12 batters across 81 pitches in his sole prior tournament start against the Dominican Republic, La Prensa noted. The winner of Thursday morning’s elimination game will face Curazao on Saturday in the international final.
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