Little league: Georgia will face Japan for title

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Cool and collected, 13-year-old pitcher Clint Wynn had to think a moment when asked about Georgia’s streak at the Little League World Series.

Entering 2007, Georgia teams had twice before advanced to South Williamsport, each time leaving with a championship.

Warner Robins, Ga., can make it three in a row after advancing to this year’s World Series title game following a 5-2 win Saturday over Lubbock, Texas.

“I want a repeat,” Wynn said with a straight face.

Georgia will face Tokyo today after Japan beat Willemstad, Curacao, 7-4, earlier in the day. Ryo Kanekubo’s grand slam in the bottom of the sixth lifted Japan.

Georgia manager Mickey Lay said he’ll be doing some quick scouting.

First, though, there was a little celebrating to do.

“Dance a little bit, talk to the families, just get ready,” Lay said. “We’ll be partying here in a minute.”

Dalton Carriker homered, David Umphreyville, Jr. had a two-run single and shortstop Zane Conlon snared a line drive to end a rally to lead Warner Robins.

With runners on second and third and Georgia leading 4-2, Conlon moved quickly to his left to catch a hard liner off the bat of Lubbock’s Bryndan Arredondo to end the fifth inning. Conlon stumbled briefly to his knees before being mobbed by delighted teammates on his way to the dugout.

Wynn pitched four-plus innings for the victory.

The past two Georgia teams to advance to South Williamsport have come away with the World Series trophy, including Columbus last year and East Marietta in 1983.

U.S. teams have also won the previous two World Series titles – Hawaii in 2005 before Georgia’s victory last year. The United States hasn’t had a streak of three or more titles since 1959-1966, an eight-year stretch of American victories.

Lubbock manager Ed Thorne, when asked if he was convinced that the better team lost, said, “Yes sir, I am.

“Japan will win (today’s) ball game. Every ball we hit went right at people. You hate to lose games like that, but that’s baseball.”

In the first game, Kanekubo raised his right arm in triumph as soon as he smacked the 2-2 pitch, an inside fastball, over the hedges beyond left-center field for the game-winning grand slam.

It was Kanekubo’s second homer of the afternoon, and the second straight game that Japan ended with a winning home run.

“I think our team slogan is ‘Never give up,’ ” manager Youichi Kubo said through a translator.

Kanekubo’s teammates greeted him at the plate after his homer, before the smiling squad snapped pictures with the international title banner.