The all-star team from Torrance Little League lost to South Dakota Wednesday at Volunteer Stadium in Pennsylvania, 1-0.
This was the first loss for Torrance in the tournament and will now face Ohio in Thursday's elimination bracket game. If they win, Torrance would advance to Saturday's championship game and have a rematch against South Dakota.
If the Torrance team is able to hold off the remaining teams and win the championship, it would become the first team from Los Angeles County to do so since Granada Hills National League in 1963.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Little League World Series was divided into brackets named after hall-of-Famers Tom Seaver and Hank Aaron and limited to only U.S. teams. Normally, the Little League World Series would be divided into U.S. and international brackets.
While neither team has announced their starting pitcher, Xavier Navarro is eligible to pitch for Torrance. He successfully limited Ohio’s West Side Little League all-stars to one hit over four innings in Sunday’s 9-0 victory.
“He's the heart of the team,” Torrance manager Javier Chavez said. “When he performs, the rest of the team does also. He picks up the team in the dugout. When he's out there, he likes to put the team on his back. It's great to have someone like that on the squad.”
The game will be broadcast on ESPN Wednesday at 2 p.m. Watch parties will be held at Rizzo’s Pizza in Lomita, as well as Shakey’s Pizza and The Crest in Torrance.
For more information on the Torrance Little League, go to https://www.torrancelittleleague.com.