SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — The West Side team from Hamilton is headed to the Little League World Series championship after defeating South Dakota 5 - 2 Saturday afternoon.
Ohio will play Sunday against Michigan, which defeated Hawaii 2-1 in the other semifinal.
In this tournament affected by COVID-19, Ohio was among four American teams — and no international clubs, because of travel restrictions — to play in the semifinals Saturday.
How they got here: Ohio began the tournament with a nail-biting win over Tennessee in extra innings, then got blown out by California in the second round, 9-0.
While many teams may have lost their motivation after a demoralizing loss, Ohio rose to the challenge.
After defeating Louisiana and New Hampshire in the losers’ bracket, the club beat California 4-2 in a rematch to advance to the semifinal.
Ohio is seeking to become the first ever team from the state to win the LLWS.