Little League World Series Scores: Day 4 Results, Highlights and Recap

Sunday at the Little League World Series is the first day of winner's bracket play, which offers a great chance for the powers of this tournament to separate themselves. 

In this fast-moving tournament, there are just four teams in the winner's bracket, and they are in great position. The winners of today's games will get a full two days off while the loser's bracket sorts itself out. 

While it isn't impossible for the losers on Sunday to bounce back and make a run to the title in this double-elimination event, it is a far harder task. 

The extra play is going to be especially taxing on pitching staffs, and any loss in this tournament puts a team in an obvious hole. 

Four games are on tap for Day 4—two in the International pool and two in the United States pool. Check out the schedule and results and then we'll offer up a recap of games as they complete.

All results and stats via LittleLeague.org. 

Day 4 Scores and Recap

Mexico 13, Panama 0 (4 innings)

On the strength of a shutout authored by Mexico starting pitcher Luis Manzo, the boys from Tijuana were only in need of one run. They got far more than that. 

Mexico was blasting shots all over the field. It scored at least two runs in every inning and needed only four innings to end this game via the mercy rule: 

It didn't take Mexico long to announce that it had come to swing the sticks. The game's leadoff hitter, Brandon Montes, went yard: 

That blast was part of a two-run first, and it was just a warm-up act. Mexico came back and rapidly expanded its lead with five runs in the second. In all, Mexico hit five home runs by four different players. Ramon Mendoza jacked two himself—one of which was a grand slam. 

That is an impressive display of a balanced lineup, which was also evident as Mexico trounced Australia, 12-0, on the first day of play. While that dominant win was a little suspect, given it was Australia's first appearance at the LLWS, this win needs no such qualifier. 

Latin America advanced to this game with an impressive 9-4 win over the Caribbean in its first game. With the loss, Latin America will take on Canada on Monday at 6 p.m. ET.

Meanwhile, Mexico gets two days off to prepare to take on the winner of tonight's game between Japan and Asia Pacific. 

New England 9, Northwest 7

New England used a huge second inning and the contributions of Harry Azadian's arm and bat to hold off a late comeback by the Northwest and stay in the winner's bracket. 

With the win, the boys from Westport, Conn. will take on the winner of this evening's contest between the West (Chula Vista, Calif.) and Mid-Atlantic (Newark, Del.). 

Azadin picked up the win in this one after going 3.1 innings and picked up four strikeouts from the rubber, and added three hits at the plate—including this jack: 

New England took a big lead by plating seven runs in the second to break a 0-0 tie. When it scored two more in the top of the fourth, New England led the Sammamish, Wa. team 9-1. 

However, the Northwest plated six runs over the next two innings to make the game interesting, yet come up just short. 

The Northwest will now have to return to the field on Monday for a game against the Mid-Atlantic. 

West 15, Mid-Atlantic 3 (4 innings)

On Sunday, the West looked like the powerhouse everyone expects them to be by demolishing the Mid-Atlantic 15-3. 

The Mid-Atlantic (Newark, Del.) actually jumped on top 2-0 after the top of the first inning. However, the West (Chula Vista, Calif.) responded with two of their own in the bottom half of the opening inning and never looked back. 

The West scored five over the next two innings, and then blew the lid off the game with eight in the fourth. 

Combine this with the West's 3-0 win over the Great Lakes in the opener, and the West is off to a great start. Of course, with Grant Holman rolling like he is, the West's sterling results are not surprising: 

With the win, the West will take on New Englad on Wednesday, and the winner of that game will advance to the final of the United States pool. Meanwhile, the Mid-Atlantic must return to action on Monday to take on the Southeast. 

Japan 3, Asia-Pacific 2

It doesn’t get more exciting in the Little League World Series than when Japan squares off against Chinese Taipei. ESPN Stats and Information provided us with some credence to that statement prior to Sunday's action:

The two rival Asian nations didn’t disappoint during their Sunday matchup as another game between the two went down to the wire.

A nearly flawless game for both teams through five innings, Japan extended its lead, adding two more runs to take a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth.

Japanese pitcher Kazuki Ishida gave his team four solid innings, allowing no runs and surrendering just three hits. Things got rough for his relief, though.

Tatsuki Nagano entered to pitch a scoreless fifth inning but was much less fortunate in the sixth. After recording just one out, Nagano gave up two runs, allowing Chinese Taipei to get back in the game. Kyousuke Kobayashi entered the game in relief to record the final two outs and secure the victory.

Shih-Che Chou led the way on the mound for the losing team, throwing 5.1 innings of work before being replaced. After striking out eight Japanese hitters and allowing just one run, the pitcher was rocked by an eventual game-winning two-run homer by Takuma Gomi in the top of the sixth inning.