Florida beats Texas in back-and-forth game to win the United States title at Lamade

In a rematch from earlier in the Little League World Series tournament, the two teams went back and forth, but a five-run sixth inning lifted Florida to a thrilling United States championship win over the Southwest Regional champions.

“Yes, they just never quit, they will not quit. We have been doing this all summer, the work that you have to put in to get here is crazy if you really want to win while here.” Florida manager Jonathan Anderson said on meeting Texas again.

Florida had to battle through the elimination bracket to get to the United States championship game and enacted revenge over Texas on Saturday.

Texas led 4-1 over four innings and it looked like Florida had a lot of work to do to catch up with them. The pitching from Texas was able to see a three up, three down inning for three straight innings from Florida until Christopher Chikodroff was able to beat out a throw to first to be the first base runner of the game for Florida.

From there Florida was able to score their first run off an RBI single into center field by James Feliciano which was scored by Chikodroff.

Florida came alive defensively the next inning retiring the side in order but not before Luis Calo made a web gem catch in right field with an over the shoulder jumping catch that ended the inning.

“It felt really good unlike anything I could have imagined”, Luis Calo stated.

“He’s just too cold-blooded man,” Anderson added.

The next inning it was a hit parade from Florida, as they scored four runs in the fifth. DeMarcos Mieses had a double off the center field wall to start off the inning that was able to add on to the momentum that was carried over from Calo’s catch, that Florida needed. Four hits later and Florida is tied with Texas at 4 a piece.

Florida was then able to take the lead when Teraj Alexander stole home to give the Southeast Regional champions the first lead of the game, 5-4, and clinch both the player and play of the game in the same go.

“I did it on my own. I saw the catcher was looking into the hill towards right field and as soon as the pitcher caught the ball he turned his back to me. I just started creeping on and when I thought I had it 100% I just took off” Alexander commented.

Texas was able to recapture the momentum in the bottom of the fifth inning, however, when a leadoff single turned into the fifth run of the game for Texas, 5-5. Texas was able to gather two more runs that inning to go ahead, 7-5.

Florida would go on to score five huge runs in the top of the sixth inning to take the lead for good thanks to three hits and three RBIs, one being a two-RBI double from Luis Calo who’s hit ended up being the go a head hit for Florida.

Florida was able to hold off the explosive offense of Texas in the sixth and ended the game on a well executive 6-3 double play.

“JJ is a great pitcher and the at bats that they put up on him to work his pitch count to only where he could get three innings in was magnificent,” Anderson said. “They were great up there, they came here to win and fight, but they ran into what we have been calling our summer and they couldn’t stop what we believed was inevitable, and that was to show the world who and what we are but boy did that team (Texas) not make it easy”.