Williamsport, PA—-Pariba Little League of Willemstad, Curaçao, has added another championship to the island’s Little League history.
Curaçao rallied from an early two-run deficit and overwhelmed Paseo Verde Little League of Henderson, Nevada, 11-2 in Sunday’s championship game, securing only the second Little League World Series title in the country’s history.
Nevada struck first in the bottom of the second inning when Maddox Bryan delivered a two-run single. Curaçao responded immediately, with Shardijon De Lanoi driving in two runs with a single in the third to even the score.
The game quickly shifted in Curaçao’s favor. Jaymiëll Martina put his team ahead with an RBI double in the fourth inning, and Pariba broke the game open with a four-run fifth.
Juriënsly De Windt provided the biggest hit of that inning, clearing the bases with a double to extend Curaçao’s advantage. Three additional runs crossed the plate in the sixth, with a wild pitch and passed ball helping Pariba put the championship out of reach.
Curaçao’s pitching staff also delivered a strong performance. De Windt, Giendry Ryan and Steven Felix combined to surrender only five hits and two runs, with just one of those runs earned. The trio issued five walks while striking out seven during the six-inning contest.
The championship continues Curaçao’s remarkable Little League legacy. The country’s first World Series title came in 2004, and that championship team eventually produced two players who reached Major League Baseball: Jurickson Profar and Jonathan Schoop.
Sunday’s game also marked a historic moment for Nevada, regardless of the outcome. Carsynn Meyer became the first American girl to appear in a Little League World Series championship game. She is only the second girl overall to play in the title contest, following Sayaka Tsushima of Kashima Little League in Ibaraki, Japan, who accomplished the feat in 1998.
Nevada has now reached the United States championship game for the second straight year, but the state is still searching for its first Little League World Series championship.
Earlier Sunday, Joto Little League of Tokyo defeated West Side Little League of Hamilton, Ohio, 3-2 in the third-place game, giving the Japanese team a third-place finish in the tournament.
