SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT -- The runner up of the 71st Little League World Series is from Lufkin, Texas, which is a little more than 100 miles north of Houston. The players and their families have enjoyed their time in South Williamsport, but they say their hearts are back home in Texas where that massive storm has caused widespread damage.

Despite the excitement of the Little League World Series, parents and friends from Lufkin, Texas are busy rescheduling flights since the Houston Airport is closed. They are also concerned about their family and friends back home.

The boys from Lufkin, Texas made it all the way to the Little League World Series final, and their families and friends couldn't be happier.

"We're excited about being here and what's happening today, but our hearts are back home," said Jennifer Deaton of Lufkin, Texas.

A little more than 100 miles south of Lufkin, Houston is experiencing what meteorologists call "catastrophic flooding."

Deaton's family in Houston has three feet of water inside their home.

"They're completely stranded. The only way out of their neighborhood is by boat."

"It's just a mess. We're getting quite a bit of rain. We're supposed to get up to 10 inches of rain where we live," said Brian Miller of Lufkin.

The Houston Airport closed, leaving around 150 Texans rescheduling flights out of Pennsylvania.

Karen Binson tells Newswatch 16 all of their vehicles are at the Houston Airport.

"We are a little concerned about our vehicles, but that will be fine. But the main problem is getting back home and getting back to work," Binson said.

The Southwest team's flight was rerouted to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, so Little League is paying for the kids and their parents to take a bus from Dallas to Lufkin.

"That's way above what we imagined they would do," said Miller.

As for the players, they have been focused on baseball, but that's all about to change.

"They're OK. I think they'll understand better when this is all over, but right now they know what's going on but not to that extent," said Deaton.

The Little League team from Mexico was supposed to fly into a different part of Texas with a connecting flight through Houston. Little League rerouted their flight to the airport in Monterrey, Mexico. Both teams are scheduled to leave Monday morning.</s>SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- The crack of the bat, the gasp from the crowd, a fist pump on the trip around the bases and then a happy hop to waiting teammates at home plate.

Japan went through the routine three times Sunday in the fourth inning of the Little League World Series championship, as Daisuke Hashimoto, Keitaro Miyahara and Natsuki Yajima homered to turn a tight game against Lufkin, Texas, into a 12-2 rout.

Tsubasa Tomii buckled down after allowing two first-inning home runs, finishing with nine strikeouts in a game that was stopped in the bottom of the fifth inning after Japan went ahead by 10 on Yajima's single to right field to score Seiya Arai.

"We were thrilled after we won the Japanese region before we came here," Miyahara said through an interpreter. "But now getting to this level and becoming the Little League World Series champions this year, it can't get any better than this."

The title marks the 11th time a team from Japan has won the Little League World Series, five of which have come in the past eight years. Tokyo Kitasuna, the club representing Japan this season, has won three of the past six.

Lufkin had a six-run comeback victory over Greenville, North Carolina, in the U.S. championship game Saturday to reach the final. Early on, it looked as though the team's momentum would carry through the championship.

Japan had allowed only one run in the tournament heading into Sunday's game, but that changed when Chandler Spencer crushed the first pitch over the left-center-field fence.

Japan allowed only three runs throughout its run to the Little League World Series title. Rob Carr/Getty Images

Hunter Ditsworth cracked an opposite-field homer down the right-field line to put Lufkin up 2-0 with one out in the first. But Miyahara laced a two-run triple with two outs in the second to tie the game at 2, and Ryusei Fujiwara fisted a single to right to bring Miyahara home.

Lufkin manager Bud Maddux, who has coached youth baseball for 41 years and won 10 total championships, came just short of the most coveted title in Little League. He blamed himself for the loss.

"Just like I told them, I'll take full credit for that," Maddux said. "We didn't make some adjustments that we should have. You can't hang your head because [Japan] beat you. They're a great baseball team, but we are too."

But it was Japan's day. After Arai slid across the plate with the 12th run, his teammates leaped out of the dugout to hug him, jumping up and down in celebration.

Miyahara's home run in the fourth came after he fouled a ball off his left leg and was evaluated by the trainer before stepping back into the batter's box.

"I was in pain," Miyahara said. "But going through all that tough practice in Tokyo, I learned how to focus and forget about that pain and just focus on hitting the ball."

Japan manager Junnji Hidaka also led the Tokyo team that won the Little League World Series in 2015. Asked to compare the two clubs, he gave the nod to this year's group.

"This team is a little more of a tight-knit group," Hidaka said through an interpreter. "A lot more happier team."

A REAL CHAMP: Champ Pederson, who was born with Down syndrome, was enshrined as a member of the 2017 Little League Hall of Excellence class before the title game. He is the first player from Little League's Challenger Division to get the honor. The Challenger Division is for children with physical and mental challenges. Pederson threw out an honorary first pitch alongside former major leaguer Mark Teixeira and spoke to the crowd before the game. He encouraged both Texas and Japan to work hard in everything they do and refuse to let adversity stop them from doing what they love. After the speech, Pederson sprinted out to center field and climbed the wall to touch the bust of Howard J. Lamade, for whom the stadium is named.

MEXICO TAKES BRONZE: Mexico beat Greenville, North Carolina, 14-8 on Sunday in the third-place game. Twelve of 14 Reynoso hitters scored, and the teams combined for 14 runs in a 53-minute fourth inning. "I didn't think that we were going to make it this far," North Carolina's Ashton Byars said. Byars hit his first home run of the tournament Sunday after promising his mom and dad that he would knock one out of the park before the series ended. Manager Brian Fields mixed in five pitchers who hadn't seen the mound all tournament. He said after the game that he wanted all his players to experience the Little League World Series to its fullest.</s>Japan won the 2017 Little League World Series 12-2 over Texas on Sunday.

The team from Tokyo poured in nine runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 10-run lead and win by mercy rule on a walk-off hit. Japan was undefeated in its nine games in the Little League World Series this year, and with this win, it marks fourth time in the last six years that a team from Tokyo went home the Champions. It is the 11th time a team from Japan captured the crown.

The team from Lufkin, Texas went 8-2 in the tournament. The team came back from a four-run deficit in the United States Championship game to win 6-5 and earn a birth to the title game. It was the eighth time a team from Texas played for the championship.</s>By Matt Martell, The Associated Press

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Lufkin, Texas, came from five runs down on Saturday to take the United States bracket at the Little League World Series.

Its task may be even tougher on Sunday, when Lufkin takes on 10-time tournament winner Japan in the championship.

Japan has won four of the last seven Little League World Series, and Tokyo Kitasuna, the club representing Japan this year, has won the championship three times before. Its most recent title came in 2015, when it was led by current manager Junnji Hidaka.

A Texas team has won the Little League World Series twice before, and has appeared in the finals six times previously.

Despite Lufkin’s elation at winning in such dramatic fashion, the team’s manager and players said after they beat Greenville, North Carolina, 6-5 that their hearts go out to those affected by Hurricane Harvey, which was battering Texas.

“I’ve heard that it’s been pretty bad,” manager Bud Maddux said. “Hopefully, (the Little League World Series) takes their mind off it a little bit, that it helps them get through it. We’re feeling for them.”

STORY SO FAR: Japan has cruised through the first four games of the tournament, outscoring opponents 27-1. What’s perhaps most impressive is the team has yet to commit an error. Its four wins have come against Australia, South Korea, Canada and Mexico, in that order.

Lufkin’s only loss in the tournament came against Greenville in extra innings on Wednesday. It was a loss that left a bad taste in the players’ mouths.

The team used the defeat as motivation and routed Fairfield, Connecticut, 14-4 in its next game to force a rematch with Greenville.

“I saw it all over social media that North Carolina was going to take the championship game,” Lufkin’s Colin Ross said. “I just wanted to prove everybody wrong.”

WHO TO WATCH: Keitaro Miyahara (Japan) hit a leadoff home run, which sparked a four-run first inning for Japan in Saturday’s 5-0 win over Mexico in the international championship game. He’s 6 for 12 with a home run and five runs scored in the tournament overall.

Manny Requena’s two-run home run in the sixth inning on Saturday lifted Lufkin to the finals. He has been one of the team’s best hitters in the tournament. He’s batting .556 with a 1.000 slugging percentage in Lufkin’s five games.

WHERE TO WATCH: The game is at 3 p.m. EDT and airing on ABC.

DID YOU KNOW?: Maddux has not allowed his team to go swimming during the Little League World Series, and he said none of his players brought bathing suits with them on the trip.

Once the tournament is over, however, swimming is fair game.

“I told them if we win that game tomorrow,” Maddux said. “I’ll be the first one in the pool.”

Matt Martell is a journalism student at Penn State. Penn State is partnering with The Associated Press to supplement coverage of the 2017 Little League World Series.</s>South Williamsport, Pa. — The crack of the bat, the gasp from the crowd, a fist pump on the trip around the bases and then a happy hop to waiting teammates at home plate.

Japan went through the routine three times in the fourth inning of the Little League World Series championship Sunday as Daisuke Hashimoto, Keitaro Miyahara and Natsuki Yajima homered, turning a tight game with Lufkin, Texas, into a 12-2 rout.

Tsubasa Tomii buckled down after allowing two first-inning home runs, finishing with nine strikeouts in a game that was stopped in the bottom of the fifth inning after Japan went ahead by 10 on Yajima’s single to right field to score Seiya Arai.

“We were thrilled after we won the Japanese region before we came here,” Miyahara said through an interpreter. “But now getting to this level and becoming the Little League World Series champions this year, it can’t get any better than this.”

The title marks the 11th time a team from Japan has won the Little League World Series, five of which have come in the last eight years. Tokyo Kitasuna, the club representing Japan this season, has won three of the last six.

Lufkin had a six-run comeback victory over Greenville, North Carolina, in the U.S. championship game Saturday to reach the final. And early on, it looked as though the team’s momentum would carry through the championship.

Japan had allowed only one run in the tournament heading into Sunday’s game, but that changed when Chandler Spencer crushed the first pitch over the left-center field fence.

Hunter Ditsworth cracked an opposite-field homer down the right-field line to put Lufkin up 2-0 with one out in the first. But Miyahara laced a two-run triple with two outs in the second to tie it at 2, and Ryusei Fujiwara fisted a single to right to bring Miyahara home.

Lufkin manager Bud Maddux, who has coached youth baseball for 41 years and won 10 total championships, came just short of the most coveted title in Little League. He blamed himself for the loss.

“Just like I told them, I’ll take full credit for that,” Maddux said. “We didn’t make some adjustments that we should have. You can’t hang your head because (Japan) beat you. They’re a great baseball team, but we are, too.”

But it was Japan’s day. After Arai slid across the plate with the 12th run, his teammates leaped out of the dugout to hug him near home plate, jumping up and down in celebration.

Miyahara’s home run in the fourth came after he fouled a ball off his left leg and was evaluated by the trainer before stepping back into the batter’s box.

“I was in pain,” Miyahara said. “But going through all that tough practice in Tokyo, I learned how to focus and forget about that pain and just focus on hitting the ball.”

Japan manager Junnji Hidaka also led the Tokyo team that won the Little League World Series in 2015. When asked to compare the two clubs, he gave the nod to this year’s group of players.

“This team is a little more of a tight-knit group,” Hidaka said through an interpreter. “A lot more happier team.”</s>By Matt Martell and Jack Dougherty, The Associated Press

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Tsubasa Tomii buckled down after allowing two first-inning home runs and Japan hit three homers in the fourth and won the Little League World Series title with a 12-2 victory over Lufkin, Texas, on Sunday.

Keitaro Miyahara laced a two-run triple with two outs in the second to tie it at 2, and hit a solo shot in the fourth after fouling a ball off his foot earlier in the at-bat. Daisuke Hashimoto and Natsuki Yajima also homered in the fourth.

Tomii cruised through the final four innings and finished with nine strikeouts.

After starter Chip Buchanan was pulled in the fourth inning, Lufkin had trouble getting outs and the game was stopped in the fifth inning after Japan went ahead by 10 on Yajima’s single to right field to score Seiya Arai.

The title marks the 11th time a team from Japan has won the Little League World Series, five of which have come in the last eight years. Tokyo Kitasuna, the club representing Japan this season, has won three of the last six.

Lufkin had a six-run comeback victory over Greenville, North Carolina, in the U.S. championship game Saturday to reach the final. And early on, it looked as though the team’s momentum would carry through the championship.

Japan had allowed only one run in the tournament heading into Sunday’s game, but that changed when Chandler Spencer crushed the first pitch over the left-center field fence.

Hunter Ditsworth cracked an opposite-field homer down the right-field line to put Lufkin up 2-0 with one out in the first. But after Miyahara’s triple in the second, Ryusei Fujiwara fisted a single to right to bring Miyahara home and make the score 3-2.

Japan added the final five runs in the fifth inning, which also was highlighted by Miyahara’s two-run double.

A REAL CHAMP: Champ Pederson, who was born with Down Syndrome, was enshrined as a member of the 2017 Little League Hall of Excellence class before the title game. He’s the first player from Little League’s Challenger Division to get the honor. The Challenger Division is for youth with physical and mental challenges. Pederson threw out an honorary first pitch alongside former major leaguer Mark Teixeira and spoke to the crowd before the game. He encouraged both Lufkin and Japan to work hard in everything they do and refuse to let adversity stop them from doing what they love. After the speech, Pederson sprinted out to center field and climbed the wall to touch the bust of Howard J. Lamade, for whom the stadium is named.

MEXICO TAKES BRONZE: Mexico beat Greenville, North Carolina, 14-8 on Sunday in the third-place game. Twelve of 14 Reynoso hitters scored a run, and the teams combined for 14 runs in a 53-minute fourth inning. “I didn’t think that we were going to make it this far,” Greenville’s Ashton Byars said. Byars hit his first home run of the tournament Sunday after promising his mom and dad he would knock one out of the park before the LLWS ended. Manager Brian Fields mixed in five pitchers who hadn’t seen the mound all tournament. He said after the game he wanted all his players to experience the LLWS to its fullest.

Matt Martell and Jack Dougherty are journalism students at Penn State. Penn State is partnering with The Associated Press to supplement coverage of the Little League World Series.</s>Tsubasa Tomii buckled down after giving up two first-inning home runs and Japan hit three homers in the fourth inning and won the Little League World Series title with a 12-2 victory over Lufkin, Texas, on Sunday.

Keitaro Miyahara laced a two-run triple with two outs in the second to tie it at 2, and hit a solo shot in the fourth after fouling a ball off his foot earlier in the at-bat. Daisuke Hashimoto and Natsuki Yajima also homered in the fourth.

Tomii cruised through the final four innings and finished with nine strikeouts.

After starter Chip Buchanan was pulled in the fourth inning, Lufkin had trouble getting outs and the game was stopped in the fifth inning after Japan went ahead by 10 on Yajima's single to right field to score Seiya Arai.

The title marks the 11th time a team from Japan has won the Little League World Series, five of which have come in the last eight years. Tokyo Kitasuna, the club representing Japan this season, has won three of the last six.

Lufkin had a six-run comeback victory over Greenville, North Carolina, in the U.S. championship game Saturday to reach the final. And early on, it looked as though the team's momentum would carry through the championship.

Japan had allowed only one run in the tournament heading into Sunday's game, but that changed when Chandler Spencer crushed the first pitch over the left-center field fence.

Hunter Ditsworth cracked an opposite-field homer down the right-field line to put Lufkin up 2-0 with one out in the first. But after Miyahara's triple in the second, Ryusei Fujiwara fisted a single to right to bring Miyahara home and make the score 3-2.

Japan added the final five runs in the fifth inning, which also was highlighted by Miyahara's two-run double.</s>SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) -- Keitaro Miyahara smacked a leadoff home run to left-center, capping a nine-pitch at-bat, as Japan beat Mexico 5-0 on Saturday to claim a spot in the Little League World Series championship.

Mexico unraveled after Miyahara's game-opening homer, giving up three more runs in the first.

Japan loaded the bases thanks to a dropped third strike, a throwing error by pitcher Jorge Garcia and a walk before Yuya Nakajima grounded a two-run single through the left side. Another run scored on a wild pitch before Garcia escaped further trouble.

By that time, he had thrown 39 pitches. Little Leaguers are only allowed to throw 85 in a game.

If Japan wins the tournament title on Sunday, it will be the country's fifth championship in eight years and 11th overall.

Tokyo Kitasuna, the club representing Japan this year, has won the championship three times before, most recently in 2015 when it was guided by Junnji Hidaka, who also is this season's manager.

Japan will play Sunday against the winner of the U.S. championship, between Greenville, North Carolina, and Lufkin, Texas.

Japan pitcher Riku Goto tossed 5 2/3 shutout innings and struck out 13, which was the most for a pitcher in a game this tournament. Miyahara relieved Goto to get the final out.

Goto helped his own cause in the fifth inning, knocking in a run on a line drive single to center.

Saturday's shutout was Japan's third in four tournament games.

MR. OCTOBER FALTERS IN AUGUST: Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Reggie Jackson threw out the first pitch before Saturday's international contest. It wasn't pretty. Jackson wound up and bounced the ball a few feet in front of home plate.

BIG BAT: Miyahara, who is now 6 for 12 in the tournament, slipped coming out of the box before sprinting around the bases after hitting his homer. He gave a little fist pump rounding third before being greeted by his happy teammates at the plate.

Matt Martell is a journalism student at Penn State. Penn State is partnering with The Associated Press to supplement coverage of the 2017 Little League World Series.</s>SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Tsubasa Tomii buckled down after allowing two first-inning home runs and Japan hit three homers in the fourth to win the Little League World Series title with a 12-2 victory over Lufkin, Texas, on Sunday.

Keitaro Miyahara laced a two-run triple with two outs in the second to tie it 2-2, and hit a solo shot in the fourth after fouling a ball off his foot earlier in the at-bat. Daisuke Hashimoto and Natsuki Yajima also homered in the fourth.

Tomii cruised through the final four innings and finished with nine strikeouts.

After starter Chip Buchanan was pulled in the fourth inning, Lufkin had trouble getting outs and the game was stopped in the fifth inning after Japan went ahead by 10 on Yajima's single to right field to score Seiya Arai.

The title marks the 11th time a team from Japan has won the Little League World Series, five of which have come in the last eight years. Tokyo Kitasuna, the club representing Japan this season, has won three of the last six.

Lufkin had a six-run comeback victory over Greenville, North Carolina, in the U.S. championship game Saturday to reach the final. And early on, it looked as though the team's momentum would carry through the championship.

Japan had allowed only one run in the tournament heading into Sunday's game, but that changed when Chandler Spencer crushed the first pitch over the left-centre field fence.

Hunter Ditsworth cracked an opposite-field homer down the right-field line to put Lufkin up 2-0 with one out in the first. But after Miyahara's triple in the second, Ryusei Fujiwara fisted a single to right to bring Miyahara home and make the score 3-2.

Japan added the final five runs in the fifth inning, which also was highlighted by Miyahara's two-run double.

A REAL CHAMP: Champ Pederson, who was born with Down syndrome, was enshrined as a member of the 2017 Little League Hall of Excellence class before the title game. He's the first player from Little League's Challenger Division to get the honour. The Challenger Division is for youth with physical and mental challenges. Pederson threw out an honorary first pitch alongside former major-leaguer Mark Teixeira and spoke to the crowd before the game. He encouraged both Lufkin and Japan to work hard in everything they do and refuse to let adversity stop them from doing what they love. After the speech, Pederson sprinted out to centre field and climbed the wall to touch the bust of Howard J. Lamade, for whom the stadium is named.</s>(Photo Photo/Matt Slocum). Japan players celebrate after winning the International Championship baseball game against Mexico at the Little League World Series tournament, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in South Williamsport, Pa. Japan won 5-0.

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar). Texas' Mark Requena, top, is greeted by teammates after hitting a two-run home run off North Carolina pitcher Chase Anderson in the sixth inning of the United States Championship baseball game at the Little League World Serie...

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar). Japan's Keitaro Miyahara (10) is greeted by teammates after hitting a solo home run off Mexico pitcher Jorge Garcia in the first inning of the International Championship baseball game at the Little League World Series tournam...

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar). Texas catcher Chandler Spencer, second from right, begins to celebrate with Mark Requena (15) and Collin Ross (17) after getting the final out of a 6-5 win over North Carolina in the United States Championship baseball game a...

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) - Lufkin, Texas, came from five runs down on Saturday to take the United States bracket at the Little League World Series.

Its task may be even tougher on Sunday, when Lufkin takes on 10-time tournament winner Japan in the championship.

Japan has won four of the last seven Little League World Series, and Tokyo Kitasuna, the club representing Japan this year, has won the championship three times before. Its most recent title came in 2015, when it was led by current manager Junnji Hidaka.

A Texas team has won the Little League World Series twice before, and has appeared in the finals six times previously.

Despite Lufkin's elation at winning in such dramatic fashion, the team's manager and players said after they beat Greenville, North Carolina, 6-5 that their hearts go out to those affected by Hurricane Harvey, which was battering Texas.

"I've heard that it's been pretty bad," manager Bud Maddux said. "Hopefully, (the Little League World Series) takes their mind off it a little bit, that it helps them get through it. We're feeling for them."

STORY SO FAR: Japan has cruised through the first four games of the tournament, outscoring opponents 27-1. What's perhaps most impressive is the team has yet to commit an error. Its four wins have come against Australia, South Korea, Canada and Mexico, in that order.

Lufkin's only loss in the tournament came against Greenville in extra innings on Wednesday. It was a loss that left a bad taste in the players' mouths.

The team used the defeat as motivation and routed Fairfield, Connecticut, 14-4 in its next game to force a rematch with Greenville.

"I saw it all over social media that North Carolina was going to take the championship game," Lufkin's Colin Ross said. "I just wanted to prove everybody wrong."

WHO TO WATCH: Keitaro Miyahara (Japan) hit a leadoff home run, which sparked a four-run first inning for Japan in Saturday's 5-0 win over Mexico in the international championship game. He's 6 for 12 with a home run and five runs scored in the tournament overall.

Manny Requena's two-run home run in the sixth inning on Saturday lifted Lufkin to the finals. He has been one of the team's best hitters in the tournament. He's batting .556 with a 1.000 slugging percentage in Lufkin's five games.

WHERE TO WATCH: The game is at 3 p.m. EDT and airing on ABC.

DID YOU KNOW?: Maddux has not allowed his team to go swimming during the Little League World Series, and he said none of his players brought bathing suits with them on the trip.

Once the tournament is over, however, swimming is fair game.

"I told them if we win that game tomorrow," Maddux said. "I'll be the first one in the pool."

Matt Martell is a journalism student at Penn State. Penn State is partnering with The Associated Press to supplement coverage of the 2017 Little League World Series.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Kitasuna Little League from the Tokyo, Japan district of Kōtō wins the 2017 Little League World Series, defeating the U.S. champions from Lufkin, Texas 12–2 in a game stopped after five innings due to the LLWS mercy rule. It is the Kitasuna league's third LLWS crown in the last six years, and the 11th title overall for Japan.