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Davenport, Iowa is going where no other Midwest team has gone since the Little League World Series started using a double elimination format in 2010.
The Davenport Northwest Little Leaguers will play in the winner's bracket final Wednesday following an eye-opening, 6-0 win against Bayonne, New Jersey Sunday at Lamade Stadium. Now, it will try becoming the first Midwest team since that region was formed in 2001 to reach a U.S. championship, facing Nevada Wednesday night.
Although this is a different league in Davenport, this team also is trying to become the first U.S. finalist from Iowa since Davenport East reached the 2000 final.
Anthony Johnson Jr. led the way and had a day to remember on the mound and at the plate. After closing a combined no-hitter with Cooper Thissen Friday, Johnson overpowered New Jersey, throwing 5 2/3 dominant innings of one-hit baseball which included 15 strikeouts. Johnson has struck out 17 in 6 1/3 Series innings and surrendered just a third inning infield single and fifth inning walk Sunday.
He struck out two or more batters every inning and the side in the second, fourth and fifth innings.
Johnson was equally impressive at the plate. He went 2 for 2 with a mammoth fifth-inning home run, single, walk and four RBIs. Johnson's RBI single gave Iowa a 3-0 third inning lead and his home run broke it up in the fifth, putting Iowa up, 6-0.
All this in front of the Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves who attended the game before playing in the Major League Classic at Bowman Field.
"It felt great," Johnson said. "Knowing Major League players are going to be coming to the game you're pitching I was like I have to show out for these guys."
Caleb Erwin became the first U.S. player at this year's Series to collect three hits, going 3 for 3 with an RBI. Thissen doubled, walked twice and scored three runs.
New Jersey suffered its first loss in 16 games but its national and world championship dreams remain alive. The Metro champions will play again Tuesday, facing the winner of Monday's Ohio-Texas game.
Iowa scored all the runs it needed in the top of the first. Thissen and Johnson walked and Kannon Kane hit an RBI grounder. Erwin then started his big day with an RBI single, making it, 2-0. Kane closed the game on the mound, striking out the lone batter he faced and giving Iowa pitchers 33 strikeouts in 12 innings at the Series.