Jackie Robinson West/South Chicago Defeats Nevada in the LLWS - Play South Korean in Finals.
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (CBS/AP) Joshua Houston survived a rocky start to pitch five innings and also brought in the tying run with a line single in the fifth to lead Chicago past Las Vegas 7-5 on Saturday in the U.S. final at the Little League World Series.
The Great Lakes Region champions from Jackie Robinson West advanced to meet South Korea in Sundays championship game 
.
While the team celebrated on the field and posed for pictures, Saturday In The Park by Chicago fittingly played over the public address system.
There were also chants of U-S-A! U-S-A!
Trailing 3-0 after the first and 5-4 heading into the home half of the fifth, Chicago scored three times to win it. Houstons single tied it after two walks, with runs also scoring on a fielders choice and an error.
Ed Howard then came on to close it out for Jackie Robinson West, a member of the Urban Initiative which supports Little League programs in needy urban areas.
Las Vegas, the West Region champs, had topped Chicago 13-2 on Aug. 17 and had outscored the opposition 33-5 in its three victories in South Williamsburg. The game was played under gray skies with an occasional mist of rain.
The weather didnt dampen the mood of the crowd. Hundreds of kids spent the game sliding down the steep hill in center field on large sheets of cardboard.
The Illinois team, called the pride of Chicago by mayor Rahm Emmanuel, eliminated the Taney Dragons from Philadelphia, featuring Sports Illustrated cover girl Mone Davis, by a 6-5 score on Thursday night in its most recent game.
Las Vegas threatened before many in a crowd of 27,428 at Lamade Staidum had even found their seats.
Zach Hare blooped a single, Austin Kryszczuk reached on a grounder through the hole and Brennan Holligan had an infield hit giving them more hits in the first three batters than Chicago mustered against Las Vegas in the earlier meeting. Houston retired Brad Stone on a called third strike and Dillon Jones on a pop, but Drew Laspaluto lined a double off the wall in center that cleared the bases.
In the earlier meeting, Las Vegas had scored four times in the first and never looked back in Holligans overpowering two-hit, six-strikeout, four-inning victory.
But Chicago came right back on Trey Hondras line-drive homer to right after Pierce Jones leadoff walk to cut it to 3-2. Marquis Jackson then singled and raced all the way to third on a wild pitch before scoring on Darion Radcliffs hard single.
In the second, Hondras single to left brought in Jaheim Benton, pinch-running for Cameron Bufford, who had walked and moved up on a Holligan wild pitch. That gave Chicago a 4-3 lead.
Las Vegas had runners in scoring position in both the third and fourth but failed to tie it.
In the top of the fifth, Las Vegas got a one-out double off the left-field wall by Krysczcuk. Holligan, batting third, then hit a long drive to right center. When he made contact, Houston angrily motioned as if to slam his glove to the ground, thinking the ball was out. But it was caught at the warning track.
But three pitches later, on an 0-2 count, Stone ripped a line-drive over the wall in left for a 5-4 lead. This time Houston was face down on the grass for an instant in disappointment.
Holligan struck out the leadoff batter in the bottom half, but walked the next two batters and was replaced by Kryszczuk. Houston, the first batter to face Kryszczuk, hit a foul pop to left that was dropped. On the next pitch, Houston tied it with a liner off the second basemans glove.
Hare then came on in relief with runners at the corners and one out and Brandon Green hit a bouncer to third resulting in a force at second, Radcliff scoring to put Chicago ahead for good. After a walk, Howards bouncer to second got under Kryszczuks glove and Green scored to make it 7-5.
In the top of the sixth, Howard came on for Houston and retired the leadoff hitter on a bouncer back to the mound.
After a bloop single by Alex Barker, Dallan Cave reached on an error. But Josiah Cromwick also bounced back to Howard, who started a 1-6-3 double play to end the game.
The Little League Urban Initiative was formed in 1999 to help local Little League programs in low-income urban neighborhoods. The Chicago team is the first member of the Urban Initiative to make it to the LLWS since Harlem in 2002.
Jackie Robinson West is making its second appearance in South Williamsport after going 2-1 in the 1983 LLWS.
Las Vegas, which will meet Japan in Sunday mornings consolation game, is the first team from Nevada to make it to the LLWS. That leaves eight states and the District of Columbia unrepresented at the big tournament in South Williamsport.
What is really inspiring is how they play as a team. The never give up, said Governor Pat Quinn, who was at the watch party at the Kroc Center on the far South Side.
A second watch party was held outside the Chicago Theatre. The Kroc Center will host a watch party for Sundays game against South Korea with doors opening one hour before the start of the game.
Mayor Emanuel released a statement after the game saying, Today the Jackie Robinson West All Stars have made history as only the third team ever from Illinois to reach the championship game of the Little League World Series and the City of Chicago could not be prouder of them. Their positive attitude and success on the field has rallied people from every neighborhood to support these kids and they continue to demonstrate why they are the pride of Chicago. What a comeback. What a win!
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Congratulations to Jackie Robinson West Little League Team. On to the finals against South Korean.
Wishing them luck.
Great to see a great Little League team from an urban area get into the championship. Baseball had become nearly extinct in poor urban areas, but 26 years ago Major League Baseball initiated the RBI program (Reviving Baseball in Inner cities). Supported by Hall-of-Famers Joe Morgan and Cal Ripken (among many others) RBI and affiliated programs have done a fantastic job bringing America's Pastime to areas where it had nearly died out.
That is a great program that MLB started. Urban areas are stuck with few places to play, lack of good equipment etc. This will give these kids something that they can be very proud, no matter the outcome of the championship game.
I worked with the kids in Las Vegas in the little league. Great kids, inner city (NLV). Hated to see them lose, but they can be proud as well.
Thanks for stopping by pokermike.
BTW, I just saw an ad for a documentary on WWI. Starting next week I think.
You are correct about the difficulties of baseball in urban areas. Fields are non-existent or poorly maintained and players need bats, balls, and gloves which are all quite expensive. Basketball is so popular there as you only need 1 ball, a relatively small court, and hoops which require no maintenance.
I gave up TV two years ago so I won't be able to watch it, but there are some fantastic WWI series and academic discussions on youtube which you might want to check out. Right now I am going to watch a debate over whether it was good or bad for Britain to enter the War.
It's tough for the inner city kids. Lack of everything for them.
Didn't know about WWI and academic disussions on you tube, I'll have to check them out. Thanks.
Been watching these games a little on ESPN and ESPN2. The fun these kids are having and their passion is truly infectious!
Everyone should Gunny.
It's a great show that they put on Larry. Some of the kids are really good, but they all play, and play hard.
Hope that they win the championship.
Well Done Chicago!
The article is about some black kids that have done exceptionally well in baseball. It's giving them a chance to be role models in their community. Also something for the community to grab on to, instead of all the turmoil.
Let's keep the comments in that vein.
Kimchi comes in a bottle. If we don't let him out, we win.
Sashimi is a Japanese name. Does that mean thatthe South Koreans are cheating?