EL SEGUNDO (CNS) — Louis Lappe hit a tie-breaking two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning Wednesday to give the all-star team from El Segundo a 5-3 victory over its counterpart from the Nolensville (Tennessee) Little League in an elimination-bracket game in the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
El Segundo on Thursday will play for a berth in Saturday's U.S. championship game when it faces the all-star team from the Northeast Seattle Little League, the Northwest Region champion. Northeast Seattle lost 1-0 to the all-star team from the Needville (Texas) Little League, the Southwest Region champion, earlier Wednesday.
El Segundo had been relegated to the elimination bracket of the modified double-elimination tournament with a 3-1 loss to Needville on Monday.
Needville's victory Wednesday gave it a berth in the U.S. championship game.
The U.S. champion will face the international champion for the world championship on Sunday.
Lappe and Brody Brooks were both 3-for-3 Wednesday, with Brooks scoring three runs and Lappe two. Brooks was also credited with the save, retiring all three batters he faced in the sixth with one strike out.
Jaxon Kalish was 2-for-3, including a two-run triple in the third that increased El Segundo's lead to 3-0.
Nolensville tied the score with two outs in the top of the fifth of the six-inning game at Howard J. Lamade Stadium, as Corbin Cyphers stole home at the back end of a delayed double steal.
Lucas McCauley hit a two-run homer for Nolensville, the Southeast Region champion, in the top of the fourth.
El Segundo combined singles by Brooks and Lappe and an error for a run in the first inning.
Max Baker, the third of four El Segundo pitchers, was credited with the victory, allowing one run and two hits in one inning with one strikeout.
Nash Carter, the second of Nolensville's two pitchers, was charged with the loss, allowing two runs and four hits in two innings, striking out two and walking one.
The loss eliminated Nolensville. El Segundo, Northeast Seattle and Needville are the only teams remaining in contention for the U.S. championship from the initial field of 10.