Japanese Team Crushes U.S. for Title

From the postgame celebration, it was hard to tell who won the Little League World Series. During the championship game, it was a different story.

A Japanese team won the series for the third time in five years, with Yuutaro Tanaka striking out 14 and Hokuto Nakahara hitting a grand slam in Tokyo Musashi-Fuchu’s 10-1 win Sunday night over East Boynton Beach, Fla.

Tokyo’s players raced into center field after the game, bowing to the bust of stadium namesake Howard J. Lamade, a tradition that began with Tokyo Kitasuna in 2001.

This time, Boynton Beach’s players, rather than hanging their heads, ran out to join them. The victory lap, which both teams ran together, turned into a footrace.

“They’re kids,” said Boynton Beach Manager Ken Emerson, whose players had become friends with the Tokyo team during the series.

“Before the game, the Japanese team and our team were in the cafeteria. They were just hanging out -- having an East Boynton Beach time.”

Tokyo Kitasuna beat Apopka, Fla., 2-1, in the 2001 championship game. Osaka defeated Phenix City, Ala., 5-0, in 1999.

Florida has put eight teams into Little League World Series title games, but never won a championship.

Japan (6-0) broke open a scoreless game with eight runs in the fourth inning. Eito Ono was hit by a pitch with two outs and the bases loaded and Kazumasa Sakamoto drew a walk from Michael Broad (2-1).

Nakahara sent the next pitch over the wall in center field for a 6-0 lead and his first home run of the series.

“When I hit it, I was hoping it was going to go out,” Nakahara said through a translator. “When I saw it was a home run, I was relieved.”

After Takeru Ohmae’s single, Tanaka hit a two-run homer to make it 8-0.