Rain Leaves Little League Series With a Backlog

They played one game at the Little League World Series Wednesday morning before rain washed out the remainder of the third day of pool play at Howard J. Lamade Stadium.

That means South Mission Viejo will have to play a doubleheader today, should it qualify for the U.S. championship game. South Mission Viejo, the only team in the U.S. bracket with a 2-0 record, can secure a place in the U.S. final if it beats local favorite Pottsville, Pa., at 10:30 a.m. (PDT), or if Dyer, Ind., beats Bradenton, Fla., in the 5:30 a.m. game.

The U.S. championship is scheduled for 5 p.m.

Thursday is usually reserved for only two games--the International and U.S. championships--but Little League officials, after conferring with coaches and managers of the eight teams, announced they would begin today’s schedule, weather permitting, at 5:30 a.m.

Yokohama, Japan, plays Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, at 8:30 a.m. with the winner advancing to face Nuevo Leon, Mexico, in the International championship at 2 p.m.

Nuevo Leon (3-0) qualified with a 3-0 victory over winless Surrey, British Columbia, in the only game played Wednesday. The game was called after five innings of steady drizzle.

The forecast calls for a 60% chance of rain this morning, decreasing to 40% in the afternoon with a chance of thundershowers by evening. More rain is expected Friday, but no games are scheduled. It is expected to be clear Saturday for the World Series final, which begins at 3:30 p.m. (PDT).

A green tarp covered most of the playing surface at Lamade Stadium Wednesday and groundskeepers are expected to work though the night to keep the field dry.

South Mission Viejo players didn’t seem fazed by the rain delay. They spent the day on a tour of the Little League Baseball Museum and later watched videotapes of their two victories here.