Alabama Team Wins U.S. Title

Phenix City, Ala., regrouped after an overnight rain delay and rallied today to defeat defending champion Toms River, N.J., 3-2 in the U.S. championship game at the Little League World Series.

Phenix City will play Osaka, Japan, at 4:30 p.m. Saturday for the title.

In a game that was suspended by rain Thursday night, Bryan Woodall pitched five innings of shutout ball and struck out eight for the win. Woodall replaced starter Colby Rasmus, who allowed two runs in the first inning on Thursday.

Some of Toms River's players, including two from last year's team, wept in the dugout as the Phenix City squad smothered Woodall on the pitcher's mound to celebrate.

"We didn't think we would make it this far," Woodall said.

William Gaston III, who had not hit a home run all season, got his second in two series at-bats to start Phenix City's three-run second inning. His 13th birthday was Wednesday.

"We just came out and did our best," Gaston said.

The team followed with four straight singles off 1998 veteran Casey Gaynor, the son of Toms River manager Mike Gaynor. He was replaced by Eric Campesi.

The resumed game unfolded before only 11,000 fans at Lamade Stadium, compared with 27,500 on Thursday night, and Toms River's cheering section was much quieter. Phenix City's fans matched them cheer for cheer, despite being outnumbered.

Campesi walked to start the game, advanced to third on two wild pitches and scored on Gaynor's grounder. Derrick Egan scored later in the inning.

Zack Del Vento started the game for Toms River, but was replaced Gaynor after giving up a walk. Gaynor then struck out the side.

Osaka, Japan with its 12-2 victory Thursday over Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, in the international final has a team in the final for the second consecutive year. Kashima lost 12-9 to Toms River last year in a game with 11 home runs.

Osaka's players reversed a 3-1 loss to Yabucoa on Tuesday mostly by hitting singles and taking extra bases when Yabucoa's fielders faltered.

"Our pitching was what got us here, and that broke down a bit, and our defense definitely broke down," Yabucoa manager Edwin Carrasquillo said through interpreter Micah Hughes.

Sho Nishida ended the game when a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth gave Osaka a 12-2 lead. Little League games end when the margin reaches 10 runs if the losing team has batted five times. Relief pitcher Kazutoshi Adachi left because of stomach pains in the fourth inning.

With two outs in the first, shortstop Josue Rivera let Nishida's grounder skip over his glove. Two batters later, Adachi drove home Kazuki Sumiyama with a single to kick off a seven-run inning off losing pitcher Cristian Gonzalez and Francisco DeJesus.

All the runs were unearned, and Puerto Rico's outfielders consistently missed their cutoff men and threw wildly.

With the large lead, starting pitcher and saff ace Sumiyama was replaced, keeping him eligible for Saturday's championship. He had a two-run homer in the third off Jose Casanova, the last of four Puerto Rico pitchers.

"I am excited about pitching in the Little League final, and I hope someday to pitch for the Hanshin Tigers," a professional team in Osaka, Sumiyama said through interpreter Bill Lundy.

Tsutomu Kameyama, the Japanese manager, said he couldn't get comfortable even with the lead.

"With kids, you never know what is going to happen," Kameyama, a former player for the Hanshin Tigers, said through the interpreter. "Maybe if I was up by 100 runs, well, then I would feel comfortable."

The series' smallest player 4-foot-7, 74-pound Takashi Sakurai had a pinch-hit bunt for a base hit in the first.

Many of Puerto Rico's players weigh twice as much as Sakurai, but he scooped up grounders at second base smoothly with his reddish glove in the most action he has seen yet in the series. After the game, he tapped his microphone to make sure it worked during a news conference.

Gonzalez hit a two-run homer in the third for Yabucoa, Puerto Rico's first team in the series in 20 years.

Japanese teams won the series in 1967, 1968 and 1976.

©1999 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed