08/30/26 05:59:00
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08/30 17:58 CDT Curaao wins Little League World Series, beating Nevada 11-2
behind De Windt and De Lanoi
Curaao wins Little League World Series, beating Nevada 11-2 behind De Windt
and De Lanoi
By ALEX HARKINS
Associated Press
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) --- Jurinsly De Windt and Shardijon De Lanoi
combined to drive in six runs, and Curaao won its second Little League World
Series title, beating Nevada 11-2 in the championship game on Sunday.
De Windt started on the mound and allowed two runs in three innings. Giendry
Ryan and Steven Felix were nearly flawless in relief with four strikeouts over
the final three innings for the tiny island nation, which previously won the
tournament in 2004.
Curaao had advanced to the finals by winning the international title in 2005,
2019, 2022 and 2023. This time, the group from Pariba Little League in
Willemstad had enough firepower from the mound and at the plate to beat the
U.S. champion.
Curaao went unbeaten in the double-elimination tournament before overcoming an
early two-run deficit to the team from Henderson, Nevada.
Ryan fanned four in 2 1/3 innings. Felix forced Nevada's final batter to pop
out to Giendry in center field. Once the ball was safely in his glove, the
celebrations began.
Giendry tossed his glove in the air as his teammates swarmed him in the
outfield. Curaao's infielders showered each other with water as a pack of fans
tucked behind the third base dugout waved the Curaao flag.
They were quiet early as it looked like Nevada, the first U.S. team to advance
to the championship without a home run, would finally crack Curaao's standout
pitchers.
Following a bunt from Nevada's Michael Kleiner, Maddox Bryan hit a line drive
to center field, driving in two runs.
Curaao tied it when De Lanoi lined a ball off the glove of a diving Kleiner at
second base.
The international champs took the lead for good on a two-run double by Jaymill
Martina in the fourth. De Windt added a bases-clearing hit in the fifth.
Nevada also was the runner-up last year, falling to Taiwan in the championship
game.
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Alex Harkins is a student in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at
Penn State.
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See AP's full sports coverage here
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