U-S-A! Florida Team Wins Little League World Series With Walk-Off Over Chinese Taipei

For the sixth consecutive tournament, a team from the United States captured the Little League World Series. The team from Lake Mary, Florida (representing the Southeast region of the US) defeated Chinese Taipei in an extra-innings thriller on Sunday in Williamsport, PA. 

Chinese Taipei was on the verge of claiming the crown, with the team from Florida down to its final out in the sixth inning (Little League games are six innings). 

Florida had runners on first and second and got the clutch hit that it needed to keep the dream alive. 

Unfortunately, they couldn't get another key hit to end the game in the sixth, so the championship went to extra innings. 

Chinese Taipei threatened in the top of the seventh, putting two runners on, but the Florida pitcher got back-to-back pop up outs to get out of the jam. 

In the bottom of the seventh, Florida threatened right back. Lake Mary also put two runners on, advancing them to second and third with two outs. But the Chinese Taipei pitcher struck out the Florida hitter to send the game to the eighth. 

The Little League squad from Lake Mary, Florida defeated Chinese Taipei to capture the Little League World Series Crown in an extra-innings thriller.

(Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

It's important to note that in Little League, the first extra inning is played as normal. 

However, a runner is placed on second base prior to the start of every additional inning (like the MLB does for extra innings in regular season games). 

Chinese Taipei couldn't score theirunner in the top of eighth, which gave Florida a golden opportunity to win it all. 

And, just like California last year, Florida won the title with a walk-off hit. This one was a little different, though. 

With the runner at second to start the inning, Florida sent its hitter up to the plate with one job: get the bunt down and move the runner to third. 

But the bunt was perfect. The Chinese Taipei pitcher fielded it and tried to throw to first base to get the out. The problem is that no one was covering the base. The ball sailed into right field and Florida won the championship. 

This was the first time the Little League World Series championship game went to extra innings since Warner Robbins, GA defeated Tokyo, Japan, in 2007. 

It was also the first Little League World Series championship for a team located in the state of Florida. California leads all US states with eight titles, and the United States leads all countries with 40 tournament victories. 

International teams, combined, have won 37.

Chinese Taipei, formerly known as Taiwan, is the most accomplished international squad, having won 17 championships. But it was denied a 18th victory when Florida came back from the brink to win it all. 

U-S-A! U-S-A!