Sweetwater Valley no-hit in LLBWS opener 1-0 

Game ends on controversial called third strike with bases loaded

It was an inauspicious first game at the 2026 Little League Baseball World Series for the West Region champion Sweetwater Valley Little League 12U all-stars. After carrying a 15-1 overall record and 12-game winning streak into the 20-team South Williamsport, Pa. tournament, the California District 42 champions were handcuffed by Midwest pitcher Cooper Thissen, whose lead-off home run and no-hit gem (with reliever Anthony Johnson Jr.) lifted Midwest Region Davenport Northwest Little League (Davenport, Iowa) to a 1-0 victory in the teams’ opening game.

Thissen struck out 15 batters in 5.1 innings and allowed four walks and no hits while Johnson pitched the final two-thirds of an inning with two strikeouts, one walk and no hits.

The Davenport Northwest duo combined for 17 strikeouts, five walks and no hits while facing a combined 23 batters.

The game was a pitcher’s duel as Sweetwater Valley starter Noah Kirk struck out 13 batters in 4.2 innings with two walks and two hits, including Thissen’s game-winning home run. Leo Gonzales pitched one third of an inning with one strikeout. The SVLL duo combined to strike out 14 batters and issued two walks and two hits while facing 20 batters.

Thissen and Kirk combined for 28 strikeouts on the hill. The pitchers from both teams racked up 31 strikeouts in the game at Lamade Stadium.

Midwest remains in the winners bracket while Sweetwater Valley must now take a more meandering route to the United States Division final through the losers bracket.

Both of Iowa’s hits came in the first inning. Thissen golfed a low offering by Kirk over the center field fence on the third pitch of the game for an ominous beginning.  Teammate Kannon Kane then hit a one-out single.

However, Kirk silenced the Iowans by striking out the next two batters.

Those would be the only two hits Midwest would make in the game but they proved fortuitous.

It was apparent from the get-go that few runs would be scored in the game.

Thissen struck out the side in the top of the first inning.

Kirk rebounded by striking out the side in the bottom of the second inning.

Thissen logged 14 strikeouts through five innings while Kirk had 11 strikeouts in four frames.

When the Iowa pitcher did make a mistake, he quickly corrected it.

Sebastian Pino drew a two-out walk in the top of the second inning for West but Thissen struck out the next batter.

Asher Giglio drew a walk to open the top of the third inning for SVLL. But Thissen struck out the next three batters.

Kirk kept humming along as well. He reached 85-pitch limit with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Gonzales took over on the mound and struck out the first batter he faced to close out the frame.

Thissen entered the top of the sixth inning having thrown 76 pitches. SVLL needed to weather nine more pitches from the Iowa starter to dislodged him from the game.

Pino opened the inning with a walk but the next SVLL batter, Grant Milke, struck out swinging for Thissen’s 15th K in the game. With Giglio at bat, Pino took second base on a wild pitch. Giglio then walked on a 3-2 pitch to put two runners on base — the most in any inning allowed by Thissen.

Thissen reached 90 pitches (pitchers are allowed to compete a batter once the 85 pitch limit is reached) and left the ball in Johnson’s hands.

Julian Sevilla drew a walk to load the bases with one out, placing the tying run just one base away. Mateo Ruiz was now at the plate. He struck out with the base paths still full to leave SVLL down to its last out. James Griffin came to bat and worked the count to 3-2. A walk would tie the game. A basehit would put Sweetwater Valley in the lead.

But Griffen struck out looking to end the game.

The called third strike by the umpire elicited grumbling from all the fans gathered at the 3N1 Sports viewing party in Eastlake when television replays were shown.

The ball appeared outside. The SVLL batter appeared in the process of tossing his bat aside to take a stroll to first base with a game-tying RBI. Just wgen it seemed the West champs has started to solve the Midwest pitching, the game abruptly ended.

Some might call it a controversial ending. But the history-making no-hitter was preserved.

It was just a total bummer for SVLL fans watching remotely.

Thissen finished the contest with 90 pitches, 59 strikes. Johnson faced three batters in two-thirds on an inning with one walk and two strikeouts.

Thissen and Johnson combined on the no-hitter, allowing five walks and 17 strikeouts. Thissen pitched 5.1 innings with four walks and 15 strikeouts.

Kirk was near perfect in absorbing the tough luck loss. He notched 53 strikes on 85 pitches in 4.2 innings with two hits, two walks and 13 strikeouts.

Sweetwater Valley will have little time to reflect on the opening game setback when they return to the field Saturday at 1 p.m. PT to take on Southeast region champion Phenix City from Alabama. Phenix City was one-hit in a 2-0 loss to Northwest region champion Soundview (Tacoma, Wash.) in Wednesday’s Opening Day schedule.

Kinley and Ryker Rasmus combined to limit Northwest to three hits. Tyler Landry and Artie Hinzman scored runs for Soundview.

Midwest advances to take on the winner of Friday’s Mid-Atlantic-Metro winner on Sunday.

With Thursday’s total wipeout due to heavy rain, eight games were played on Friday, starting at 6 a.m. PT.

Mexico 7, Australia 1
 Three Mexico pitchers limited Australia to five hits while taking advantage of only three hits of their own to open the International bracket 1-0.

Jorge Fonseca scored three runs for the Municipal de Tijuana team while Matias Garcia scored twice. Oscar Mateo Montañez and Gareth Garcia each scored single runs. Garcia led Mexico with two RBI.

Australia committed three errors in the game. Aussie pitchers also issued seven walks.

Mexico scored three runs in the first inning and tacked on two more runs in the third inning to take a 5-0 lead. Australia scored its run in the top of the fifth inning but Mexico countered with two more runs in the bottom of the frame.

Fonseca allowed two hits with six strikeouts in three innings while Esteban Bautista allowed three hits and struck out four batters in 2.1 innings. Paul Lavenant struck out one batter with no hits in two-thirds of an inning.

Aaron Dare allowed two hits and allowed five runs with three strikeouts in three innings. Edin Becirevic allowed one hits and two runs in two frames.

Mexico next plays on Sunday against Latin America, which used a sixth-inning rally to edge Panama, 6-4, on Friday Australia drops to a loser’s bracket game against Canada on Saturday.

LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES SCOREBOARD

Wednesday, Aug. 19
Latin America 2, Caribbean 1
Northwest 2, Southeast 0
Asia-Pacific 7, Canada 0
Metro 2, New England 1

Thursday, Aug. 20
Games postponed due to inclement weather

Friday, Aug. 21
Mexico 7, Australia 1
Mountain 6, Great Lakes 5
Curacao 6, Japan 0
Midwest 1, West 0
Latin America 6, Panama 4
Northwest 4, Southwest 3
Asia-Pacific vs. Europe-Africa
Mid-Atlantic vs. Metro

Saturday, Aug. 22
Canada vs. Australia
New England vs. Great Lakes
Caribbean vs. Japan
Southeast vs. West

Sunday, Aug. 23
Mountain vs. TBA
Mexico vs. TBA
Midwest vs. TBA
Curacao vs. TBA