Ayumu Hasegawa dropped a two-out, walk-off bunt down the first-base line to bring home the winning run as Japan scored three times in the bottom of the sixth inning to stun Ohio 3-2 in the third-place game of the Little League World Series on Sunday in South Williamsport, Pa.
Tokyo’s Joto Little League entered the final inning having managed only three hits against Boone Treadway and trailing 2-0. Treadway’s outing ended with one out in the sixth after he reached the pitch limit, and Japan responded with an RBI single to cut the deficit in half.
Japan pulled even later in the inning when pitcher Bryson Williams’ throw to third base got away. With two outs and the winning run at third, Hasegawa pushed his bunt up the first-base line and beat the play to first to complete the comeback.
Ohio, representing the Great Lakes Region through West Side Little League of Hamilton, Ohio, had broken a scoreless tie in the fourth. Xander Kinkade doubled to right field with two outs, driving in Josiah Infante and Bob Frazier for a 2-0 lead.
Treadway kept Japan off the scoreboard for the first five innings and finished with five strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. Tensei Yazawa earned the victory for Japan after working three innings in relief of starter Takeru Yorozu.
Japan finished its tournament with six victories after losing its opening game to Curacao and falling to Curacao again in the international championship game. Ohio’s loss was its second walk-off defeat, after Nevada edged Hamilton 6-5 in its opener.
–Field Level Media
