Canada shocks Japan at Little League World Series

Canada scored all of its runs in the sixth and final inning to stun Japan 6-0 on Friday at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa.

It was the second shutout win in a row to open the tournament for the Little Mountain Little Leaguers of Vancouver, who beat Australia 7-0 on Wednesday.

“We knew Japan was the favourite to come into the game. The longer we kept it close, the more pressure was going to build on them,” Canada manager Ulysses Yan said.

Benjamin Dartnell’s three-run double was the big blow in the sixth for Canada. Dartnell, as a pitcher, notched eight strikeouts in the win over Australia.

“When I’m pitching, I mostly focus on pitching well. I always try to hit well, but I don’t think about it as much. I just think about pitching,” Dartnell said. “When I’m not pitching, I think more about hitting and how to do well. My hit came at the right time, too.”

Lucas Weisser and Jaxon Mayervich combined on a five-hit shutout, striking out 12.

Canada returns to action on Monday against Mexico.

“The team’s still pretty grounded,” Yan said. “We all understand everything from now on is all gravy. We’ll remain competitive regardless who we’re facing as long as we play our game and stick to the basics.”

The tournament is a double-knockout event.