Fans in awe of Japanese team for congratulating Californian players following LLWS triumph

The Little League World Series (LLWS) game on Sunday saw Louis Lappe register a walk-off homer, while California defeated Curacao with a 6-5 scoreline.

Curacao had tied the game in the fifth inning after Nasir El-Ossais’s grand slam to center. This caused a celebration bout among the players, coaches, and Curacao fans down the third-base side of the Lamade Stadium. Nasir had also driven in a run in the third.

After registering the walk-off homer, Louis flipped his bat and ran around the bases with his hands in the air. He blasted the homer in the bottom of the sixth inning.

In the fourth inning, Crew O’Connor brought in a run for El Segundo along with a single to the left field followed by Max Baker’s triple which in turn gave California a 5-1 lead. The ride down there was rutted, however, California emerged as the winner.

ESPN posted a video of Japan congratulating the Little League World Series winning team California on their official Twitter page.

“Sportsmanship at its finest 🥹Japan congratulated California on their LLWS championship win 👏” – the post read.

Fans on the internet were in awe of the precious moment that the entire baseball community witnessed.

“This what we like to see” – one fan said.

"Kids being brought up right” – commented another.

A look back at Curacao’s journey as team fails to secure LLWS title

Curacao's journey in the Little League World Series (LLWS) has been a series of challenges and near-misses in recent years. They participated in the LLWS in 2019, 2022, and 2023 but have yet to secure the coveted LLWS title.

The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 disrupted the tournament schedule, with no LLWS taking place in 2020. In 2021, the tournament was limited to American teams due to travel restrictions.

In the 2022 LLWS, Curacao made it to the final but faced a tough loss, falling 13-3 to Hawaii in the championship game. Both the winning team, California, and Curacao battled through losses during the tournament, showcasing their resilience and determination to reach the finals.