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Michigan, Georgia narrowly avoid elimination with walk-off wins

Little League World Series

Facing large deficits and near-elimination brought out the best in Michigan and Georgia at the Little League World Series on Monday.

For the second time in three games, Michigan's Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores Little League team rallied from four runs down to beat Iowa, 5-4, on Reggie Sharpe's walk-off single in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Later, in the second U.S. game, Georgia's Peachtree City LL was down to its final strike before tying the game on Jansen Kenty's two-run homer in the sixth and then scoring on a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to overcome Texas, 7-6.

Ten of the 21 games played in the 2018 LLWS have been come-from-behind wins. The six walk-offs match the total from the previous two years combined. Four games have gone extra innings, the most in a single year since 2013.

In addition to Michigan and Georgia, Puerto Rico and Canada avoided elimination on the international side. Puerto Rico came back to beat Panama, 2-1, while Canada held on to an early lead to top Mexico, 6-4. Also, Rhode Island won its consolation game against Australia, 15-0, marking Coventry LL's largest win in 11 games this summer.

Recapping Monday's games

Georgia (2-1) 7, Texas (1-2) 6 (f/9)

  • Ben Traxler's sacrifice fly scored Wills Maginnis with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

  • Georgia advances to play Michigan on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET in an elimination game.

  • It was the sixth walk-off win of the tournament overall, and the 10th come-from-behind win of the tournament.

  • Jansen Kenty hit a two-run, game-tying home run in the bottom of the sixth with two outs and two strikes.

  • Traxler pitched 3 1/3 innings in relief, allowing three hits and one earned run while striking out six. He'll be eligible to pitch Thursday.

  • Texas, which was eliminated from the tournament, scored six runs after scoring only four runs in the first two games combined.

  • Ryan Selvaggi (Texas) went 4-for-4 with a home run and a triple, three runs scored and two RBIs; the triple was his second of the LLWS to lead all players.

  • Selvaggi is the second player with a four-hit game in this LLWS (Tommy Turner of Rhode Island is the other).

Canada (2-1) 6, Mexico (1-2) 4

  • Canada remains in title contention and moves on to face Puerto Rico in an elimination game on Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET

  • Canada must win on Tuesday and Thursday to get to Saturday's international championship game.

  • Canada scored six runs after scoring five runs in its first two games combined.

  • Kai Sheck (Canada) hit a three-RBI triple in the second inning to give Canada a 5-0 lead.

  • Mexico was eliminated from this year's Little League World Series

Michigan (2-1) 5, Iowa (1-2) 4

  • Michigan, which rallied from a 4-0 deficit, also came back and won after trailing 4-0 against Idaho on Friday.

  • Eleven of the 13 runs Michigan has scored in the LLWS have come in the fifth inning or later.

  • Preston Barr (Michigan) pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing only one run and striking out nine.

  • Barr has allowed one run over his past 11 innings pitched dating back to the start of the Great Lakes regional.

  • Michigan's two wins are its most in a single LLWS since 1982.

  • Iowa was eliminated from the LLWS.

Puerto Rico (2-1) 3, Panama (1-2) 1

  • Puerto Rico remains alive and in title contention and will face Mexico in an elimination game at 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

  • Puerto Rico must win on Tuesday and Thursday to reach Saturday's international championship game.

  • In five scoreless innings of relief, Roberto Joubert (Puerto Rico) allowed no hits and struck out 14, the most by any pitcher in a game this year. He is eligible to pitch Saturday.

  • Carlos De Jesus (PUR) went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

  • Panama was eliminated from the LLWS.

Consolation game: Rhode Island (1-2) 15, Australia 0 (0-3)

  • Rhode Island's 15 runs scored were the most by Coventry Little League this season (11 games played).

  • Tommy Turner (Rhode Island) went 4-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs.

  • Australia was outscored 24-2 in three LLWS games.

Previewing Tuesday's games

Idaho (0-2) vs Spain (0-2), 11 a.m. ET on ESPN (consolation game)

  • Both teams have already been eliminated from title contention.

  • Spain is 3-25 all-time in the LLWS, with all three wins coming against teams from North America; its last win was in 1982 against Maryland.

  • Idaho is 1-4 all-time in the LLWS, with its only win coming in 1999 against Indiana after starting pool play 0-2.

Puerto Rico (2-1) vs Canada (2-1), 3 p.m. ET on ESPN

  • The winner remains in title contention and will face the loser of Wednesday's Japan-South Korea matchup in an elimination game on Thursday.

  • The loser will be eliminated from the LLWS.

  • Puerto Rico is 6-0 all-time against Canada, and that is tied for the second-most wins by one country over another without a loss (Japan is 11-0 against Saudi Arabia); P.R. and Canada last met in 1999.

  • Puerto Rico has allowed only two hits in the last two games; its .116 (8-for-69) opponents' batting average is the best among the LLWS teams.

  • Canada's Whalley LL is 9-10 all-time at the LLWS; all other Canadian teams are 42-118 in Williamsport.

Michigan (2-1) vs Georgia (2-1), 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

  • The winner will move on to the U.S. semifinals on Thursday against the loser of Wednesday's Hawai'i-New York game; the loser will be eliminated from LLWS.

  • Michigan's two wins have come on walk-off singles; 11 of its 13 runs scored in the LLWS have come in the fifth inning or later.

  • Jarren Purify (Michigan) leads his team in hits (five) and runs scored (four) in the LLWS.

  • Brennan Hill will make his third LLWS start for Michigan; he has allowed six runs (four earned) in 2 2/3 innings in the LLWS.

  • Tai Peete (Georgia) is 5-for-8 in the past two games after going 0-for-4 in the LLWS-opening loss to Hawai'i.

  • For Georgia, 10 different players have a hit in the LLWS; eight different players have an RBI.

Justin Page of ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this report.

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