Little League World Series Schedule: Previewing Wednesday's Undefeated Showdowns
Wednesday's Little League World Series action is devoted to the undefeated teams, of which there are only four remaining.
These four teams all have the potential to win this storied tournament, and a win on Wednesday would go a long way towards accomplishing this, as the victorious team will get extra rest while the team on the wrong end of the outcome will bounce down the loser's bracket.
You can view the full schedule here and check out a preview of Wednesday's contests below.
Latin America vs. Japan at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN
This game is going to test the old axiom that "good pitching beats good hitting."
Japan (Tokyo) has not surrendered a run in its 15 LLWS innings, and opponents are hitting just .118 against the team. That is easily the best opponent batting average in the tournament.
That phenomenal pitching staff will be facing Latin America (Aguadulce, Panama), a team that is hitting .421 and that scored 17 runs and jacked three homers in its two games.
However, this is not to say that Latin America is without pitching. The team carries an ERA of 2.00 into this game.
While Japan has only scored nine runs, that number was greatly influenced by its well-played 2-0 victory over a solid Chinese Taipei team its last time on the field.
This is an intriguing matchup to say the least.
Southeast vs. Southwest at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
This is another compelling matchup featuring two well-balanced teams.
The Southeast (Goodlettsville, Tennessee) squad has blasted its way to 21 runs in two games, and it is hitting .393 as a team and also carries a 3.50 ERA.
The Southwest is slightly behind in the offensive totals with 18 runs scored, but it has the edge in pitching with its 2.00 ERA and an opponent batting average of .205.
Both of these teams have one win via the mercy rule and another that was closer. The Southeast beat a tough West squad 6-9 in its second game, and the Southwest beat the Mid-Atlantic 5-2 in its opener.
These teams are talented and battle tested. This should make for another excellent game.
