Pearland avoids elimination for 2nd straight night and now advance to win-and-in game Thursday

The Southwest region champs face Nolensville, Tennessee for a spot in the U.S. Championship game.

Jeff Ehling Image
Thursday, August 25, 2022
Pearland meets familiar foe in 2nd straight elimination game
Pearland Little League had an early start to its game day Wednesday. Will it work, especially against a team with basically homefield advantage?

WILLIAMSPORT, Pennsylvania (KTRK) -- Up until Wednesday night, it seemed Pearland Little League saw patterns of twos in its World Series run.

They're trying to avoid a second loss. They want to make their second U.S. title game. And on Wednesday night, they earned their second straight elimination game victory against a team they faced in the tournament for a second time.

The video above refers to an earlier edition of this story, reported before the Hollidaysburg game.

Pearland defeated Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, 8-4, setting up a win-and-in showdown with Nolensville, Tennessee on Thursday night, where the winner will advance to the U.S. Championship game against Honolulu, Hawaii on Saturday.

Nolensville became another of Honolulu's blowout victims earlier Wednesday, getting its first loss of the Little League World Series, 13-0.

Pearland's boys endured a partisan crowd of thousands in Williamsport to deliver the Mid-Atlantic region champ's second loss of the tournament.

About 20,000 people already showed up last Friday during the Pearland and Hollidaysburg's first game, mostly rooting for the Pennsylvania team. Pearland expected more of the same in round two, even though some of them said the big crowd energized them.

Proving that the work is nonstop, the Pearland boys had an early start to game day and reported to the batting cages at 9 a.m.

The Pearland-Nolensville game airs on ABC13 sister station ESPN Thursday night at 6 p.m.

MORE PEARLAND LITTLE LEAGUE COVERAGE:

How did Pearland recover from a shutout loss? Pizza, of course

Pearland Little League opens World Series elimination bracket play on Tuesday night against Davenport, Iowa.

Pearland shut out against Hawaii in tough 2nd Little League matchup

What does ESPN think of Pearland Little League? Analysts weigh in.

For more on this story, follow Jeff Ehling on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.