The team that comes to the Little League World Series from the West region is usually considered one of the favorites on the US side, especially the teams from California. The team representing the Midwest didn't care that they were supposed to be underdogs as they came out swinging and took home a 5-1 victory in what amounted to just one of the upsets on the day, as Canada defeated Japan in an earlier game.
California scores first
California got on the board first though as Daniel Leon led off the second inning with a single. He advanced to second when Anthony Soto singled, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored when JuJu Padilla hit a sacrifice fly to right field to put them up 1-0.
Iowa responded with one of their own in the bottom of the third, as JT Garcia hit a two-out single. He scored when Michael Siemer doubled to the wall to tie the game. They took the lead in the fourth when Kaiden Dinh led off with a single. Payton Newhouse followed with a single, and they both scored when Cade Goodwin hit into a fielder's choice, which was compounded by an error to put Iowa up 3-1.
Garcia leads off the fifth with emotional home run
Garcia led off the fifth inning with a bang, as he hit a solo home run to center field while his mother, who is suffering from cancer, was being interviewed on the game broadcast. They picked up another when Jack Emanuel singled, advanced on a wild pitch, moved up when Dinh grounded out, and eventually scored on another wild pitch to give Iowa the 5-1 lead.
Leon did most of the heavy lifting on the mound for California, as he went 4.2 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits while striking out seven batters on 88 pitches, meaning that he is required to have four days of rest before he pitches again.
The Iowa staff was dominant, as Emanuel, Jack Larson, and Siemer combined to go six innings, collectively giving up just the one run while getting seven total strikeouts, with Larson picking up four of those to send them to the winner's bracket, where they will face the team representing the Great Lakes region, while California will play on Saturday in an elimination game against the team from the Southwest.
This was the first time that an Iowa team has won their first game at the LLBWS in quite a long time, and gives hope to the fans that this may be the year that the Midwest makes it to the championship.