Mexicali and Seoul to Play in Final of Little League Series

A last-inning mental lapse by the Morristown, Tenn., shortstop allowed the winning run to score, giving Mexicali, Mexico, a 2-1 victory Thursday and creating the first all-foreign team final in 39 years of Little League World Series play.

Mexicali, which won the West region of the U.S. tournament, will face Seoul, South Korea, in Saturday’s championship game. South Korea routed Binbrook, Canada, 16-0, in Thursday’s other semifinal.

With Morristown and Mexicali tied, 1-1, in the top of the sixth, Leonardo Ramos led off with a single. Winning pitcher Omar Mendez laid down a sacrifice bunt, and both runners were safe when the throw to second was too late for the force-out.

Santiago Villaescusa then lofted a fly ball to right field, and both runners tagged up.

Brian Shepard caught the ball and threw to shortstop Richie Conway, who tagged out Mendez and excitedly spiked the ball into the ground near the mound as though there were three outs. Ramos, who had taken third on the throw, ran home with the winning run.

In the first game, the Koreans, who had routed Maracaibo, Venezuela, 13-2, in the opening round, had 15 hits against the Canadians.