SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT — Louisiana claimed its first Little League World Series title as Marshall Louque hit a pair of doubles and drove in three runs, while pitcher Egan Prather threw a two-hit shutout Sunday to lead a team from River Ridge past Curacao 8-0.
Egan shut down a powerful Curacao lineup, throwing 88 pitches over six innings. His performance in the championship caps off a solid tournament on the mound in which he picked up two victories and struck out 19 batters in 14 1/3 innings.
"Louisiana is your Little League World Series Champion!" #LLWS pic.twitter.com/qtnhWEs3sB
— Little League (@LittleLeague) August 25, 2019
The offensive breakthrough came in the fifth inning for Louisiana as the club representing the Southwest region scored four runs on four hits to seize control. Reece Roussel smacked an RBI double that was followed by Louque’s RBI single, his third hit of the day.
Curacao threatened in the top of the third, loading the bases with one out. But a sharp ground ball to Louque at third base resulted in a force-out at the plate and a few pitches later, Jurdrick Profar, the youngest brother of Oakland A’s infielder Jurickson Profar, was thrown out trying to score on a wild pitch.
Reece Roussel: "I can't explain how good this feels. ... I'm speechless."
— NOLA.com (@NOLAnews) August 25, 2019
Roussell batted an insane .739 (that's not a typo) and set a Little League World Series record for total hits: 17 in 7 games. He even had a grand slam.
Have you processed that yet: "No, I have not." pic.twitter.com/cMCkVKpBo1
With Louisiana’s victory, U.S. teams have won back-to-back Little League crowns for the first time since 2009, when a team from Chula Vista, Calif., capped off a streak of five straight championships for the United States.
World. Series. Champs.
— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) August 25, 2019
From no program six years ago to now. @Eastbank_LL just won the Little League World Series with an 8-0 win over Curaçao.
Way to go, kids. Way. To. Go. pic.twitter.com/LlSg7eDUNd
This year, the team from suburban New Orleans fought its way back through the loser’s bracket after dropping its first game to Hawaii. Louisiana won six games in eight days, becoming the first team to win the LLWS after losing its first game since the tournament expanded in 2001.
