California Team Topples Florida, 6-2

A disputed call went Rancho Buena Vista’s way, and now the San Diego area team is on its way to the U.S. title game at the Little League World Series.

An apparent three-run home run by Maitland, Fla., was ruled a double, and that was the break Vista needed in a 6-2 semifinal victory Wednesday night.

In an international semifinal game, Japan was an 11-0 winner over Surrey, Canada.

Guam will play defending series champion Willemstad, Curacao, and West Oahu of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, will face Lafayette, La., in the other semifinals today.

The championship is Sunday.

The controversial play came in the bottom of the third with Maitland trailing, 2-0.

With two runners on and two out, Mike Tomlinson laced a drive against winning pitcher Kalen Pimentel that hit about a foot up the netting attached to the left-field foul pole, hit the top of the wall and bounced back into play.

Tomlinson thought he homered, but the umpires immediately ruled the hit a two-run double. Maitland Coach Sid Cash dashed out to argue, but the call was not reversed.

“It just hurt the momentum for us,” Cash said.

“I think if we’re up 3-2, we’d have the lead and then see how they’d respond. It has an effect on everything.”