The team from Summerlin South Little League representing Las Vegas, Nevada, will play for the Little League World Series title on Sunday afternoon.
Las Vegas defeated Connecticut, 8-2, to win the United States championship on Saturday. Now, a showdown with Tung-Yuan Little League from Chinese Taipei awaits on Sunday.
Nevada jumped out to an immediate lead over Fairfield National Little League in the U.S. title game, cashing in with a three-run first inning. The key hit came from Grayson Miranda, whose two-run single staked Summerlin South to an advantage it never relinquished.
Garrett Gallegos shined on the mound, scattering two runs over five innings. On his final pitch of the afternoon, Gallegos recorded a strikeout to strand two runners. He helped his own cause at the dish, too, blasting a home run to center field in the fourth inning.
Luke D’Ambrosio pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning to vault Summerlin South to the title game, where Nevada will play for the state’s first ever Little League World Series championship.
Meanwhile, Chinese Taipei defeated Aruba, 1-0, to win the International championship earlier on Saturday. The win secured a second consecutive appearance in the LLWS championship for Chinese Taipei, which fell short in last year's title game when it lost to Lake Mary (Fla.).