Despite being viewed as one of the favorites in the tournament, Southeast has been involved in close games the entire Little League Series. In their first game, they earned a thrilling walk-off victory against Northwest, lost by two runs in their second game against the United States Championship bound Mid-Atlantic team, and narrowly defeated West yesterday 4-2. 

Today's game was not close by any means. 

Southeast needed just five innings to move on to the next round in the Little League World Series, destroying Midwest 14-3. The 11-run margin of victory is the largest so far in the Little League World Series by any team. The game was called due to mercy rule after five innings. 

Southeast will face Great Lakes tomorrow with a chance to move on to the United States Championship. Undefeated Mid-Atlantic will face the winner, the team that handed both Southeast and Great Lakes their only loss. Midwest has been eliminated from the tournament after finishing 2-2. 

Midwest takes the early lead

Midwest led halfway through the game. Josh Larson got the start for the team from Iowa and looked good through three innings. The only run that he gave up during those innings came in the second, where Ethan Jackson hammered a first-pitch home run to open up the inning. 

Midwest would be the next to score, pushing three runs across the plate in the third. Miles Risley reached base to open up the inning due to a catcher's interference, and advanced to third base on a one-out double by Michael SiemerJake Pemble had a chance to give Midwest the lead but struck out.  Kaiden Dinh followed and came up big. He hit a three-run home run, giving Midwest to a 3-1 lead. 

Southeast bats sizzle

But from that point on, Southeast took complete control of the game. 

Carson Rucker led off the inning with a double and Ethan Jackson reached base with a walked. 

This brought up RJ Moore, pinch-hitting for Ryan Oden. Moore was 0-3 so far in the tournament, receiving the minimum one at-bat in each of Southeast's first three games in the tournament. Moore's first hit was a big one, as he hit a three-run shot to give Southeast the lead right back at 4-3. 

RJ Moore hits a go-ahead three-run home run in the fourth inning. (Photo: Gene Puskar/AP)
RJ Moore hits a go-ahead three-run home run in the fourth inning. (Photo: Gene Puskar/AP)

The Little Leaguers from Tennessee tallied two more runs in the inning, as Zach McWilliams laced a bases-loaded double that scored two runs. 

Unfortunately for Midwest, after a tough fourth inning, things got even worse in the fifth. Following an Ethan Jackson walk, Robert Carroll, Ryan Oden, and Brock Duffer all singled. Jackson, Carroll, and Oden all scored on Duffer's single, as an error by the left fielder pushed the third run across. Duffer advanced to third on the miscue and scored on the next play from a RBI groundout from Easton Dillard. Tyler Jones and Carroll each had RBI singles in the inning, giving Southeast the 11 run cushion. 

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About the author
Oliver P. Gold
A Providence, Rhode Island based sports journalist and blogger with expertise in baseball and basketball. Includes MLB, NBA and NCAA College Basketball. New England sports fan of Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics and Providence Friars.