The team representing Bonita's Sweetwater Valley Little League will learn Wednesday who it will face Thursday for a berth in the Little League World Series U.S. Championship Game.
The Sweetwater Valley all-stars will face the loser of Wednesday's 5 p.m. (PDT) game between the teams representing the Pearland West Little League of Pearland, Texas and the Red Land Little League of Lewisberry, Pennsylvania in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Both teams are 2-0 in World Series play.
The winner will advance to Saturday's U.S. Championship Game.
Pearland West, the Southwest Region champion, is the only team to defeat Sweetwater Valley in 20 games in five tournaments this summer, winning 8-4 on Sunday.
Sweetwater Valley avoided elimination for a second consecutive day Tuesday with an 11-3 victory over the team representing Kentucky's Bowling Green Eastern Little League, ending much of the suspense by scoring five runs over the first two innings.
Sweetwater Valley, the West Region champion, combined singles by leadoff hitter Antonio Andrade and Dante Schmid, a walk to Jacob Baptista, two Bowling Green errors and a passed ball for three runs in the first.
Levi Mendez hit a two-run homer in the second to increase Sweetwater Valley's lead to 5-0.
Bowling Green Eastern, the Great Lakes Region champion, cut the deficit to 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth.
Carson Kelley doubled to open the inning and Devin Obee walked one out later. Kelly moved to third on Sweetwater Valley's first of three wild pitches of the inning and scored on Chris Myers' two-out single.
Obee scored after two more wild pitches.
Andrade, who was three-for-four and scored four runs, led off the fifth with a homer. Nate Nankil doubled one out later, advanced to third on Walker Lannom's single and scored on a wild pitch.
Kelley hit a solo homer with two outs in Bowling Green Eastern's half of the fifth.
Sweetwater Valley combined two walks, two Bowling Green errors, a wild pitch and Lannom's RBI double, all with two outs, for four runs in the top of the sixth.
Schmid, the Sweetwater Valley starting pitcher, was credited with the victory, allowing three hits and two runs over 3 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking two. Nankil pitched the final 2 1/3 innings, three hits and one run, striking out three and not walking a batter.
Sweetwater Valley defeated Bowling Green Eastern 14-2, on Friday in a game called in the top of the fourth inning because of the 10-run rule.
