Little League World Series walk-off! El Segundo, California’s Louis Lappe sparks pandemonium in Williamsport with game-winning homer vs. Curacao

Louis Lappe hit a walk-off homer and California defeated Curaçao 6-5 in the Little League World Series-championship on Sunday, despite leading by four runs.

Louis flipped his bat and threw his arms in the air as he trotted past the bases and jumped onto home plate before being greeted by his teammates who surrounded the batter’s box. Louis, the lead-off hitter in the bottom of the sixth, threw the second pitch he saw just beyond the left field fence.

Curaçao tied the game in the fifth on the grand slam of Nasir El-Ossais to center. Nasir also drove in a run in the third.

Jaxon Kalish and Lucas Keldorf each drove two runs for California.

It was the first trip to the finals for the team from El Segundo, a community in the Los Angeles area. California’s eight titles are the most of any U.S. state.

Lappe, center right, celebrates with manager Danny Bole, center left, and teammates

Lappe, left, hugs Jay-Dlynn Wiel (10) of Curaçao after the game in the post-game handshake line

Curaçao, a small island off the coast of Venezuela with a population of just 150,000, has represented the international side of the championship the last three times non-US teams have competed – in 2019, 2022 and this year – but have lost each time.

There was no tournament in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 tournament was restricted to US teams due to travel restrictions.

Curaçao brought back five players and coaching staff from the team that lost 13-3 to Hawaii in the 2022 final.

Both California and Curaçao suffered defeat during the tournament and had to fight their way through the elimination round to the final. As the number of pitches across the rosters increased, they all turned to less experienced LLWS starters.

Crew O’Connor drove in a run for El Segundo with a single to left field that followed Max Baker’s triple in the fourth to give California a 5–1 lead.