Fans, families and friends of team El Segundo, a little league baseball team playing their first game in the Little League World Series in Pennsylvania Thursday, gathered in local restaurants to support the hometown squad.
On Saturday, the team met up for a 4 a.m. bus ride to the Ontario International and then flew all the way to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where they are considered one of the favorites among the 10 teams from the U.S. There are also 10 international teams in the series.
“We’ve never had a team go to the World Series before,” El Segundo Little League President Jamin Griffiths told KTLA. “In a district of eight different leagues around the South Bay, I don’t think they’ve ever had anybody go to the World Series before. It’s just monumental what the kids have been able to do.”
Even the L.A. Dodgers have taken notice of the hometown heroes, Tweeting, “Join us in wishing good luck to the El Segundo @LittleLeague squad as they play in their first game at the Little League World Series tonight. Go get ’em, guys!”
Thursday’s game against a team from Ohio began at 4 p.m. and was airing on ESPN. Early in the game, El Segundo’s opponents took an early 3-1 lead, but back to back home runs in the third inning gave the SoCal squad a one run advantage. A rain delay in the fourth inning that lasted several hours left the field unplayable and officials called the game for El Segundo,” The Orange County Register reported.
El Segundo is slated to play the winner of the Midwest vs. Southwest game on Monday at 4 p.m. Pacific Time.
A GoFundMe campaign has been organized to help families defray the cost of travel and lodging.