Needville gets well-deserved day off to prepare for US Championship Game on Saturday

WILLIAMSPORT, Pennsylvania (KTRK) -- The rematch is set!

The Needville Little League All-Stars knew they would face one of two teams they already defeated during their Williamsport run.

Just before 8 p.m. Thursday, we got the final out of the last elimination bracket game, with El Segundo, California, coming out on top, 2-1, over Northeast Seattle Little League.

Needville and El Segundo play on Saturday for the second time in six days, now with a United States Championship on the line at the Little League World Series.

Needville defeated the Californians, 3-1, on Monday.

ABC13 will be the home of the big matchup between Texas and California, this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The winner goes on to the LLWS World Championship Game on Sunday, against either Curacao or Chinese Taipei.

Working on the day off

Fresh off their incredible extra-inning victory. The team went right back to the batting cages Thursday.

The boys were all smiles. And why not? They've got plenty of time to sit back and enjoy themselves before their next game on Saturday, which happens to be the U.S. Championship Game.

Over the next few days, they will practice and prepare for the biggest game of their lives.

Needville won Wednesday's game in dramatic fashion, scoring one run in the ninth inning and then hanging on to win thanks to an impressive defensive effort that kept Seattle from scoring and sending Needville to the U.S. Championship Game.

On Thursday, the boys were walking on air, happy, energetic, and ready to take care of business.

They are getting so much attention in Williamsport and back home, which can be overwhelming.

Keeping them grounded is a job for the manager and coaches. These dads make sure the boys are still focusing on the next step. It sounds like a tough job, but they say the big lights have not changed the players.

"They are the same kids. They really are. They have done a good job of kind of blocking out the interviews and requests, and when we walk down here, there are girls that want pictures with them, and there are little kids that want stuff, and that is all really cool," manager Andy McRae told ABC13. "When the game starts, they have done a really good job of blocking that out and just being the kids they are, and when we are back in the dorm, it's been a neat experience for them."

At this stage of the tournament, a well-rested pitching staff can be the difference in winning or losing.

Needville is 4-0 so far. One more win, and they play for the right to be called the best team in the world.

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