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08/30 18:51 CDT Curaao wins its 2nd Little League World Series, beating Nevada
11-2 behind De Windt and De Lanoi
Curaao wins its 2nd Little League World Series, beating Nevada 11-2 behind De
Windt and De Lanoi
By ALEX HARKINS
Associated Press
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) --- For the last two weeks, Curaao Little
Leaguers were focused and disciplined about what they ate, when they slept and
how they practiced for youth baseball's biggest tournament.
Now, the champs can relax and enjoy a treat or two.
Jurinsly De Windt and Shardijon De Lanoi each drove in three runs, and Curaao
won its second Little League World Series title, beating Nevada 11-2 in the
championship game on Sunday.
"Every kid (will eat) McDonald's," Curaao coach Railison Gijsbertha said,
smiling ear-to-ear, alongside three beaming players who couldn't wait to take
the trophy home to their tiny island nation for the first time in 22 years.
De Windt started on the mound and allowed two runs, one earned, 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.
Curaao's support grew beyond its native fans as the tournament wore on. Many
fans from the United States began wearing its signature navy blue and yellow
hat, some loaded with signatures that Curaao players were happy to provide
throughout the week.
"When we went to the shop, we saw people from the States were buying our
stuff," Gijsbertha said. "Our team is a good team, a great team, and when they
ask us to sign a ball, we do that."
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 lined a single to
center field, driving in two runs. Nevada fans along the first base line waved
signs, including one featuring World War II icon Rosie the Riveter and
dedicated to Carsynn Meyer, the first girl to play for the U.S. in the
championship game.
Meyer, who became the first girl to get a hit in the U.S. championship when
Nevada beat Ohio on Saturday, went 0 for 2 against Curaao.
Curaao tied it when De Lanoi lined a ball off the glove of a diving Kleiner at
second base for a two-run single.
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 double in the fifth that
brought the Curaao fans to their feet. The Curaao radio broadcast team, which
led the crowd in the country's national anthem before the game, began to exult.
Nevada also was the runner-up last year, falling to Taiwan in the championship
game.
"When they look back and kind of realize what they've accomplished and what
they've gained from here on out," Nevada coach Cory Edwards said, "I hope they
shoot me a text or give me a call and just remember that it was a hell of a
ride."
___
Alex Harkins is a student in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at
Penn State.
___
See AP's full sports coverage here
