(Updated 8/24/2014) Jackie Robinson West of Chicago scored three runs in the sixth inning, but their late comeback attempt fell short in a 8-4 loss to South Korea in the 2014 Little League World Series championship game on Aug. 24 in Williamsport, Pa.
Jackie Robinson West earned a place in the overall championship game by winning the U.S. Championshipsemi-final on Aug. 23; South Korea prevailed in the International Championship semi-final the same day.
South Korea jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of first inning, then extended that lead to 2-0 in the top of the third. South Korean pitcher Jae Yeong Hwang had an outstanding start to the game, striking out nearly every batter he faced from Jackie Robinson West through the first two innings. Jackie Robinson West didn’t get their first hit base runner until the bottom of the third inning when D.J. Butler and Ed Howard hit back-to-back singles to get set Jackie Robinson up with two on and one out and Pierce Jones at plate. Jones was intentionally walked, loading the bases and Trey Hondras delivered a sacrifice ground ball to score Butler, cutting South Korea’s lead to 2-1. Unfortunately for Jackie Robinson West, South Korea didn’t allow another run through the next two innings, causing the Chicago team to fall behind.
Brandon Green got the start for Jackie Robinson West; he had five strikeouts through five innings but also gave up four runs, including a single home run in the top of the fifth that extended South Korea’s lead to 4-1. Green gave up four more earned runs in the top of the sixth inning alone, including another single home run that gave South Korea a comfortable 8-1 lead.
But Jackie Robinson didn’t go down without a fight, as Jones and Hondras both hit singles to get on base in the sixth inning, setting up a two-run RBI double from Dorian Radcliffe to cut South Korea’s lead to 8-3. Radcliffe scored afterward on a passed ball by South Korea’s catcher. But the comeback was cut short there as South Korea held off Jackie Robinson West for an 8-4 win and the 2014 Little League World Series title.
