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Curaçao wins second Little League World Series title, first since 2004
ReCuraçao wins second Little League World Series title, first since 2004
Curaçao defeated Nevada 11-2 to win its second Little League World Series championship, its first since 2004. The team dominated the tournament and became only the second squad to win a title with its country's name on the uniform.
Curaçao captured its first Little League World Series championship in 22 years, defeating Nevada 11-2 in the title game. The victory marks the second championship in the island nation's history, following its 2004 title, and cements its status as one of the most successful international programs in the tournament's history.
The team from the Caribbean island of fewer than 200,000 residents rode a dominant pitching performance and a relentless offensive attack to overcome an early deficit. Nevada, which had won the U.S. championship to reach the final, took a 2-0 lead in the second inning before Curaçao answered immediately in the third. The team then broke the game open, scoring nine combined runs over the next three innings to put the contest out of reach.
The game was not without late drama. Nevada loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning and produced a loud out to straightaway center field that carried to the warning track. Had the ball traveled a bit farther, the American team might have put more pressure on Curaçao, but even then, a five-run gap would have been a difficult hurdle to overcome.
Curaçao's path to the title included a shutout victory over Japan in the International final, setting up the championship matchup against Nevada. The team ran through the entire tournament with authority, legitimizing its long-held reputation as a Little League World Series powerhouse. With the win, Curaçao became only the second team in Little League Baseball World Series history to win a title with its country's name on its uniform, joining Japan.
Japan also claimed a prize in this year's tournament, defeating Ohio 4-2 in the consolation game. Nevada, meanwhile, was seeking its first world championship after winning the U.S. title but fell short against a Curaçao squad that proved too strong on the biggest stage.
The championship adds to a historic run for Curaçao in international sports. The nation's soccer team qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in program history and even recorded a point in the group stage, underscoring a moment of athletic achievement for the small island nation.
