Pennsylvania, Tokyo to play for championship

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — It’s safe to say 12-yearold Chayton Krauss had never before caused 46,000 people around him to erupt into screams of euphoria.

Krauss hit an RBI single to right field in the bottom of the sixth inning Saturday, giving Lewisberry, Pa., a 3-2 victory over Pearland, Texas, and a berth in the Little League World Series championship game.

“It felt awesome and it was amazing to get that hit and it felt great,” he said. “I just remember that he had a decent fastball and decent curveball and I got a fastball and just drilled it.”

Krauss drove in Braden Kolmansberger, who had walked and moved to third on Jaden Henline’s one-out single.

Cole Wagner struck out 11 over 52/3 innings and hit a home run from the undefeated Red Land Little League team, which draws from Lewisberry and several other towns that are just a twohour drive from Williamsport.

Lewisberry will play undefeated Tokyo for the World Series championship today. Tokyo beat Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, 1-0 in seven innings earlier Saturday

for the international title.

The Red Land fans were already lining up for the game at 6 a.m. for the 3:30 p.m. start, helping set a single-game attendance record of 45,716. They quickly filled the large hill behind the outfield fence, leaving only a small patch behind a television tower for kids to participate in the traditional hill sliding on cardboard sheets. Dozens were left to peer through a parking lot fence above the hill.

“As far as you could see there were people,” said Lewisberry Manager Tom Peifer. “They were loud. I kept saying, ‘Let’s give them something to cheer about.’ ”