Harlem Wins Regional Title, Earns Berth In Little League Baseball World Series

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (Aug. 13, 2002) – Harlem Little League of New York City will advance to the Little League Baseball World Series, thanks to an extra-inning victory tonight in Bristol, Conn.

Julian McWilliams scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the seventh inning, giving Harlem a 5-4 victory against Lehigh Little League of Bethlehem, Pa., in the Mid-Atlantic Region Tournament on Breen Field at the A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center. Harlem battled back from a 4-0 deficit with a four-run, fourth-inning rally, ignited by Alibay Barkley’s two-run homer.

The victory means Harlem earns one of 16 berths in the World Series in Williamsport, Friday through Aug. 25. New York teams have reached the World Series 14 times, winning it twice (National Little League of Schenectedy, 1954; Mid Island Little League of Staten Island, 1964).

Harlem plays its first game in the Little League Baseball World Series on Saturday at 2 p.m. against Southwest Forsythe Little League of Clemmons, N.C., the Southeast Region champion.

Other leagues to earn berths so far are from: Valencia, Venezuela (Latin America Region); Sendai, Japan (Asia Region); Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles (Caribbean Region); Waipahu, Hawaii  (Northwest); Monterrey, Mexico (Mexico Region); Moscow, Russia (Europe Region); Louisville, Ky. (Great Lakes); North Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada (Canada); Forth Worth, Texas (Southwest); Agana, Guam (Pacific); Web City, Mo. (Midwest); and Dhahran, Saudi Arabia (Transatlantic).

The final U.S. region game is the West Region Tournament championship in San Bernardino, Calif., tonight, 10 p.m. Eastern Time.

ABC will televise the Little League Baseball World Series U.S. championship game on Aug. 24, at 7:30 p.m. The world championship game of the Little League Baseball World Series can be seen live on ABC at 6:30 p.m., on Aug. 25. Eleven World Series games will be televised on ESPN and seven games will be televised on ESPN2, bringing the total televised games to a record 20.

Little League Baseball is the largest organized youth sports program in the world, with nearly 3 million participants in all 50 states and 104 other countries. The Little League Baseball World Series is the culmination of the world’s largest elimination tournament, with more than 16,000 games played over a six-week period on six continents.