Japan Wins Little League World Series

With more than 42,000 fans cheering against them, the Tokyo players found themselves down eight runs in the first inning of the Little League World Series championship game against Lewisberry, Pennsylvania.

That brought out manager Junji Hidaka's inner Yogi Berra and sparked a record rally that saw the Kitasuna Little League pound out 22 hits in an 18-11 comeback victory in a battle of undefeated teams.

"I told the players it doesn't end until it ends," Hidaka said through a translator.

Japan responded with seven runs in the second, four in the third inning and five in the sixth. Masafuji Nishijima had four hits and six RBIs, and Shingo Tomita hit two of Japan's five home runs.

Japan's third pitcher, Nobuyuki Kawashima, held Lewisberry in check most of the game, giving up just one run and two hits over five innings.

It was the 10th title for Japan, second behind Taiwan's record 17, and Japan has won four titles in the last six years, becoming the first international country to do so since Taiwan won five spanning 1986 to 1991. It's the third title for the Kitasuna Little League team, which also took home championship pennants in 2001 and 2012.