Little League Team Advances To World Series On Sketchy Third-Base Appeal

The team from Petaluma, California advanced to the Little League World Series last night after escaping from a sixth-inning rally by their Nanakuli, Hawaii opponents with an appeal to third base that a Hawaiian runner missed the bag. The score was 7-6 Petaluma at the time, with the Northern California team needing one more out to secure victory.

The umpire accepted the appeal, called the runner out, and the game was over—sparking a wild celebration from the representatives of Northern California and heartbreak on the faces of the Hawaiian representatives.

ESPN's broadcast of the game wasn't the cleanest as might be expected for a regional baseball game involving 12-year-olds, so it's tough to tell if the runner actually touched the base:

It's worth asking, too, if this is really how a children's baseball game should end. (Also worth asking: whether ESPN should be making millions off unpaid children's labor.) Of course, it's entirely possible the Petaluma team would have retired the next batter and ended the game anyway, making this all moot.

Hawaii manager Danny Stephens says he didn't see the runner miss third base, and told the San Bernadino Sun:

I'd really like to see a replay on that, but there are a lot of replays in the tournament I'd like to see.

Here's your replay, Danny. I don't think it will provide many answers.