Pennsylvania vs. Japan: Score and Reaction for 2015 LLWS World Championship

Staring at a 10-2 deficit after the first inning, Japan blitzed the group from Red Land Little League in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, with 16 runs over the final five innings to capture the 2015 Little League world championship in an 18-11 victory.     

The United States remains without a Little League title since the victory by Huntington Beach, California, in 2011.

The ball was flying out of Howard J. Lamade Stadium in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, as the two teams combined for seven home runs in the final. According to the Cauldron, the 86 home runs in this year's World Series beat the previous tournament record of 76.

For neutral observers, the title game had a little bit of everything, per Little League:

Although the two teams hadn't yet met on the field in Williamsport, Red Land's Braden Kolmansberger revealed the players were well-acquainted with one another before Sunday, per Geoff Morrow of PA Media Group:

Perhaps that familiarity played a role in the offensive explosion.

Japan was likely feeling good with its start to the game. A double from Kabu Kikuchi gave the international champion a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.

Then Red Land dropped 10 runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Following an error on Japan shortstop Yugo Aoki and two walks, Red Land loaded the bases with nobody out. Back-to-back singles from Chayton Krauss and Ethan Phillips brought home two runs to tie the game at 2-2. After Kaden Peifer struck out, Jake Cubbler walked to put Red Land ahead 3-2.

Dylan Rodenhaber stepped to the plate next and emptied the bases with a grand slam to right field. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf was following the action with rapt attention and was happy to see his home state jump into a 7-2 lead:

The Baltimore Orioles were also rooting on their fellow Americans:

Jaden Henline tacked on three more runs with a home run to center field.

Broad Street Beat thought the Red Land team should make the roughly two-and-a-half-hour trip to Philadelphia to offer some help to its MLB counterpart:

"

BREAKING: The #Phillies have signed the entire Red Land Little League team. Expected to report tomorrow.

— Broad Street Beat (@BroadStBeat) August 30, 2015"

Japan wasted little time chipping away at the eight-run deficit. After back-to-back singles in the top of the second by Raito Sugimoto and Hayato Yumisashi, Aoki atoned for his error with a three-run home run to right field.

Kengo and Shingo Tomita followed suit, giving Japan back-to-back-to-back home runs in the second, which got the team right back into the game down just three runs, 10-7.

And Japan wasn't done either. A two-run double from Masafuji Nishijima made it just a one-run game, 10-9, nearly completing the remarkable comeback. Henline was able to get out of the inning before that could happen.

After Red Land couldn't add any runs in the bottom of the second, Shingo Tomita tied the game at 10-10 with two outs in the top of the third inning. Three batters later, Nishijima drilled a three-run home run to center field to give Japan its first lead since the first inning, 13-10. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the 23 combined runs tied the LLWS championship record.

Andrew Callahan of the Lebanon Daily News noted how close Henline was to exiting the third with the two teams still tied:

Kolmansberger scored a run in the bottom of the third on an error on Japan third baseman Daiki Fukuyama, but Red Land was unable to do any more damage in the inning.

PennLive.com's Tim Leone made light of the score, which was more in line with a football game than the LLWS world championship:

After both teams went scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings, Japan padded its lead with five insurance runs in the top of the sixth.

While Nishijima, Kengo and Shingo Tomita and Aoki will earn deserved praise for their combined work at the plate Saturday, Nobuyuki Kawashima's performance in relief can't be overlooked. Over the final five innings, he allowed just one unearned run on two hits.

Kawashima entered the game at a time when his team badly needed stability on the mound, and he delivered in spades.

U.S. fans will have to wait another year for an American team to bring home the world title in Williamsport. The four-year gap is the longest since 1994-97, when Venezuela, Taiwan (twice) and Mexico all had a run with the LLWS championship.