Additional Coverage:
- Lake Mary, Florida, rallies to beat Taiwan 2-1 in 8 innings to win Little League World Series title (newsbreak.com)
In South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, despite being ill and missing play on Saturday, young Lathan Norton became the hero on Sunday by scoring the decisive run, leading Lake Mary, Florida, to a narrow 2-1 victory over Taiwan in a thrilling eight-inning championship game of the Little League World Series.
Norton, who had been sidelined with a 102-degree fever the day before, expressed his elation, stating that the experience was surreal and hugely gratifying.
Throughout the game, Taiwan maintained a slender 1-0 lead, a score they established in the opening inning and defended deep into the contest. Florida battled fiercely, often getting players in scoring positions but failing to convert those opportunities into runs until the critical sixth inning. DeMarcos Mieses, shaking off earlier strikeouts, hit a critical ball to shallow left, enabling Chase Anderson to sprint to home plate and even the score.
The game extended into extra innings, where Norton began on second base as per the rules. A key play unfolded when Hunter Alexander bunted and an errant throw to first allowed Norton to dash home from second, triggering a celebration from the Florida team and silencing the Taiwanese contingent.
Taiwan’s early advantage came from Hu Yen-Chun’s hit that bounced off a Florida player, allowing Chiu Wei-Che to score. Despite their strong start and the historical prowess of Taiwanese teams in the series, Taiwan couldn’t add to their score.
This victory marked Florida’s first championship in nine attempts, capping a come-from-behind win that included overcoming a challenging semifinal against Texas where they rallied with five runs in their final appearance at bat.
Jonathan Anderson, Florida’s manager, reflected on the journey and effort, noting the team’s resolve to succeed despite an initial loss to Texas.
Historically dominant in the series from 1969 to 1996, Taiwan’s appearance in the final under coach Lee Cheng-Ta, who also led 2009’s runner-up team and last year’s third-place squad, highlighted a determined return to contention.
Postgame, Taiwan’s coaches opted out of the press conference, adding a note of solemnity to the end of their strong tournament run.