Undefeated Tokyo, Japan, defeated Taichung, Taiwan, 4-3 in a dramatic, extra-inning thriller in the Little League World Series.
Junsho Kiuchi's homer to left ended the game in the bottom of the 10th. Kiuchi raised his arms in triumph after rounding first after his homer sailed over the left-field fence.
Kiuchi also pitched in the victory, striking out nine in five-plus innings of relief.
Taiwan was stunned after leading 2-0 early on. The game was an inning short of the longest Little League World Series contest ever played.
Japan tied the game at 3 with two outs in the bottom of the sixth after Kazutaka Kato lined a hard shot to center that fell just in front of centerfielder Chen Chung-yen. The relay went to second, allowing Yuya Fukushima to score.
In the other international semi-final, Deion Rosalia hit a three-run homer in the extra inning for Willemstad, Curacao, to stun Maracaibo, Venezuela, 4-2 at the Little League World Series on Thursday.
Curacao advances to today's international championship game against Tokyo.
In the US championship game, Lubbock, Texas, beat Lake Oswego, Oregon, 8-2 to advance to play Warner Robins, Georgia, which routed Chandler, Arizona, 16-6.
Tied 1-1 after the regulation six innings, Venezuela's Bryan Charry led off the top of the seventh with a homer for a 2-1 lead. Teammates lined the third-base line as Charry rounded third, greeting him with low-fives before he pounced on home plate.
Rosalia wasn't happy about that celebration.
"It made me want to beat them up," he said.
With two outs, Ademar Rifaela singled and Vincent Anthonia walked on four pitches, setting up 13-year-old Rosalia's at-bat. Rosalia was down to his last strike with Curacao on the brink of elimination when he hit a 1-2 fastball over the fence.
Anthonia skipped in delight, frantically jumping as he rounded third. Rosalia soon followed and was greeted by jubilant teammates at the plate.
He said it was his first game-winning homer.
Japan's Kiuchi said he caught Rosalia's game-winner on TV.
Asked which one was better, he smiled and said: "Of course, mine."
In US play, Bryndan Arredondo hit a three-run homer in the third as undefeated Lubbock rallied from an early deficit to defeat Lake Oswego 8-2.
Calvin Hermanson's two-run single in the second gave Oregon a 2-0 lead before Texas scored four runs in the third.
After recording 17 outs by strikeout in his first appearance, reliever Garrett Williams finished with 11 Ks against Lake Oswego.
Warner Robins' Payton Purvis hit two two-run blasts, including one in a seven-run fifth inning that ended the game with Chandler early because of Little League's 10-run rule.
With some of the members of last year's title-winning team from Columbus, Georgia, watching from the stands, Warner Robins pounded out 14 hits against Chandler.
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