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SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Cody Thomson pitched a one-hitter and had a run-scoring single to lead Conejo Valley of Thousand Oaks, Calif., to a 4-0 victory over Lamar National of Richmond, Texas, in the U.S. championship game of the Little League World Series on Saturday.
California faces Pabao Little League of Willemstad, Curacao in tonight's final.
With a 72 mph fastball and deceptive curveball, Thomson shut down a Texas team that entered batting .440, with six players at .500 or better, and had scored a series-high 51 runs in four games.
Texas almost scored in the second, twice getting runners to second base before Dustin Moehlig hit into a double play to end the inning. Texas had a runner at second again in the fourth, but Thomson, who struck out 12 for the game, struck out three of the next four batters.
Thomson's single in the second, a chopper up the middle, made it 1-0. He then scored on Hayden Cronenbold's single to centerfield for a 2-0 lead.
Danny Leon singled to lead off the third and scored on Jordan Brower's sacrifice fly to make it 3-0. John Lister scored on an error in the sixth.
CURACAO 4, MEXICO 0: Dimitri Eugenia homered and Jurickson Profar allowed one hit for Pabao of the Netherlands Antilles in the international final. Curacao had lost in the international final the previous four years.
Eugenia struck out in his five previous at-bats of the Series. But with two outs in the second, he sent the first pitch over the right-centerfield for a 1-0 lead. Carlos Pineda hit a two-run homer in the fourth, and Jonathan Schoop's double in the fifth made it 4-0.
Mexico loaded the bases in the fourth on two walks and a flubbed fielder's choice. But Profar struck out Felipe Martinez for the third out, one of his 12 for the game.