Georgia Tops Virginia To Win Little League Southeast Championship

WARNER ROBINS, GA — Georgia has defeated Virginia to win the Little League Southeast regional championship. The Peachtree City American Little League team beat the Loudoun South American Little League all stars Wednesday 3-0. The game was played in Warner Robins, Georgia. The Southeast champions will now go on to play the West regional champion Aug. 17 in the Little League World Series.

For Loudoun (4-2), out of South Riding, the game represented a shot at redemption. The team's only loss came in a heartbreaker Saturday against — who else — Peachtree City (4-0) out of Fayette County, Georgia. But that story was all but crushed by a stellar pitching performance from Jansen Kenty, who hurled six innings and allowed just three hits. He struck out 13 batters and allowed just two walks. Kenty also helped his own cause, adding a hit, one RBI and scoring a run in the contest.

Virginia pitchers Chad Yates and Griffin Burkholder gave it their all and ended the game with a respectable line of their own. Yates allowed three runs on just three hits and struck out seven batters. But two walks and a hit-batsman in the third inning allowed Georgia to scrape across three runs, which proved to be enough.

For Georgia, consistent, strong pitching has been the formula for success. They shut out Tennessee and allowed just three runs in the other two games against Virginia and Alabama. Kenty tossed a marvelous game in the team's opener last week against Tennessee, striking out a whopping 13 batters and allowing just five hits and no walks. Tai Peete pitched the following day against Virginia and nearly matched Kenty with a gem of his own. Peete threw six innings, striking out nine batters and allowing just one earned run on three hits.

In their first game against Virginia, Loudoun was in it until the very end. The game was tied at three runs a piece in the top of the sixth inning when Georgia scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly.

Virginia rebounded from that tough loss and came into Wednesday's title game on a hot streak. They had won three straight games against North Carolina, West Virginia and, most recently, Alabama.

South Riding is about 25 miles west of Washington, D.C. and Peachtree City is about 27 miles southwest of Atlanta.

Rosters

Virginia

Griffin Burkholder

Chad Yates

Shawn Arneja

Nate Hoskins

Connor McGoldrick

Justin Lanouette

Luke Krueger

Evan Duy

Hunter Taylor

Edwin Sanchez

Cameron Lizama

Ryan Pugh

Georgia

Bo Walker

Chase Fralick

Will Clem

Jansen Kenty

Tai Peete

James Hooper

Jack Ryan

Cole Manetti

Connor Soper

Tyler Beck

Charlie Clem

Cayden Olvey

Wills Maginnis

Ben Traxler

Photo credit: Shutterstock