Little League World Series 2023: Friday Scores, Bracket Results and Highlights

Day Three of the Little League World Series occurred Friday in Williamsport, PA and fans were treated to some high quality matchups.

Four teams, Southeast, Midwest, Latin America and Mexico all saw their tournament journey's start while Metro, Southwest, Venezuela and Japan were looking to capitalize on Game 1 victories to advance further within the tournament.

Who would advance further and who will have no room for error as they enter the losers bracket? Here's a recap of Friday's action.

---

Friday Scores

Latin America (Maracaibo, Venezuela) def. Panama (Santiago de Veraguas, Panama), 4-3

Southeast (Nolensville, Tennessee) def. Metro (Smithfield, Rhode Island), 8-1

Japan (Tokyo, Japan) def. Mexico (Tijuana, Mexico), 6-1

Southwest (Needville, Texas) def. Midwest (Fargo, North Dakota) 6-2

Full bracket available at LittleLeague.org.

---

Latin America 4, Panama 3

Latin America made its debut in Williamsport in the day's opening game and it wasn't the hottest of starts.

Panama knocked two runs across in the bottom of the first, building off momentum from a 4-0 victory over Europe-Africa in the opening round. Latin America would bounce back though, putting two runs up in both the second and third innings to grab a 4-2 lead.

Panama would grind out a run in the bottom of the fifth and had the bases loaded, but Latin America escaped and came out with the 4-3 victory.

Latin America now prepares to face the Caribbean on Monday in the winner's bracket while Latin America will look to avoid elimination against the winner of Cuba-Australia.

Southeast 8, Metro 1

Nolensville Little League is the Southeast representative in the tournament for the third consecutive and their first game of this tournament showcased this veteran presence.

A balanced offensive attack, combined with excellent pitching and defense, helped lead the team to a 8-1 victory over Metro.

Grayson May was electric on the mound for Southeast, tossing 4.2 innings while surrendering just three hits and a single run. He accomplished this on just 50 pitches, which is significant given the Little League guidelines on pitch counts. 50 pitches in the game means that he is eligible after just two days rest, which lines up perfectly with Southeast next game in the tournament.

Stella Weaver also showcased her blazing speed, most notably in a sequence when she notched an infield single, stole second base and scored off of a single.

Southeast now advances to face Northwest in the winners bracket on Monday while Metro will take on the winner of Mid-Atlantic and New England.

Japan 6, Mexico 1

Mexico showcased some gritty play throughout the contest but an efficient Japan team was able to take advantage of opportunities and earn a decisive 6-1 victory in their second game of the tournament.

Japan, who advanced to this point after defeating Cuba 1-0 Wednesday, utilized a small ball approach to put runners on base consistently and took advantage when they had the opportunity. This led to eight hits, and they were able to limit Mexico to just three hits as they cruised to the victory.

Japan now advances to face Asia-Pacific in the winners bracket in what should be a very competitive matchup. Mexico moves to the losers bracket where they will face the winner of Europe-Africa and Canada.

Southwest 6, Midwest 2

For the first time in tournament history, North Dakota would represent the Midwest. The state's debut was a valiant battle but ultimately one that came up short to Southwest via a 6-2 final score.

Midwest was able to outhit Southwest 3-2 but in the end it was too little, too late. Each team put up a pair of runs in the second inning but Southwest broke out in the top of the fourth inning after Southwest notched both of its hits and utilized walks and wild pitches to put the dagger on the board.

The win is the second of the tournament for Southwest, who advance to face the West team on Monday. Midwest will look to keep its tournament alive in the losers bracket as they face the winner of Mountain-Great Lakes.