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SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Grant Holman almost gave away a crucial victory with his arm, then took it back with his bat. After being victimized for a three-run homer that put his Chula Vista, Calif., team in a hole on Wednesday night, the tall right-hander hit a three-run homer in the top of the ninth, and California rallied for a 6-3 victory over New England champion Westport, Conn., to earn a berth in the U.S. championship game at the Little League World Series. "All I wanted to do was hit it hard," Holman said, his right arm in ice after a 10-strikeout performance and winning reliever Rennard Williams smiling at his side. Micah Pietila-Wiggs laced a one-out single to left, his third hit of the game, to start the ninth and Jake Espinoza followed with a double to right-centre before Holman connected off reliever Alex Reiner. Chula Vistas bullpen came up big, shutting down Westport over the final five innings. "It was fabulous," Chula Vista manager Rick Tibbett said about his relief corps. "Thats what they do." Matt Brown hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth for Connecticut, and the Northeast champions seemed headed for a big victory. But California shortstop Nick Mora hit his second homer of the game to make it 3-2 with one out in the top of the sixth and Chula Vista tied it when Reiner threw a wild pitch with the bases loaded. The victory snapped Connecticuts 20-game winning streak. "Its disappointing, of course, to lose," Westport manager Tim Rogers said. "Its painful to be so close to winning and lose. Obviously, theyre a very talented team. Theres no holes in their lineup whatsoever. Well play tomorrow." Westport plays Northwest champion Sammamish, Wash., on Thursday. Sammamish (3-1) moved on to the matchup in the U.S. bracket by eliminating Nashville, Tenn., 6-5 on Tuesday. Westport was coming off a 9-7 victory over Sammamish on Sunday. Holman pitched 3 2-3 strong innings. Chasing his second no-hitter of the World Series, Holman had struck out nine -- including the first six batters he faced, swinging -- and was cruising when Max Popken drew a leadoff walk to start the fourth. Harry Azadian broke up Holmans no-hit bid with a single to right field and Brown then homered. TOKYO, JAPAN 5, TIJUANA, MEXICO 2 The big bats of Tijuana, Mexico, were silenced by Tokyo, Japan, in the first game Wednesday. When Brandon Montes crushed a home run off Japan starter Kazuki Ishida, the big bats of Mexico seemed ready to rumble again. "I definitely felt chills," Ishida said. "But I made sure to keep my composure and keep on throwing." And hitting. Taken out after three innings with an eye on a future game, Ishida slammed a tie-breaking home run in the bottom of the fifth inning and unbeaten Tokyo rallied past powerful Tijuana 5-2 on Wednesday to earn a berth in the international championship game at the Little League World Series. Westport, Conn., faced powerful Chula Vista, Calif., under the lights in Wednesdays other game in the double-elimination tournament. Ishidas blast came off Tijuana starter Ramon Mendoza. Kouyou Mizushima followed with an RBI single and pinch-hitter Kyousuke Kobayashi capped the winning rally for Japan (3-0) with an RBI double off the left-centre field wall. "Im glad that we won. Everybodys starting to get their groove back," said Seiya Nishino, whose pinch-hit home run tied it at 2 in the fourth. Mexico (2-1) still has a shot. It will play Aguadulce, Panama, on Thursday in a rematch. Mendoza hit two of Tijuanas five home runs in a 13-0 four-inning win over Panama on Sunday in the winners bracket. That game was stopped because of Little Leagues 10-run rule, the second time Mexico had done that in the World Series. Not on this day, though. Ishida and winning reliever Ryutarro Takeo kept the Mexican players off-balance with a variety of off-speed pitches, never allowing the Tijuana offence to get untracked. Mexico, which also beat Perth, Australia, 12-0 in 4 innings last week, managed just five hits against Japan. "They handle their pitchers well," Tijuana manager Francisco Fimbres said. "They paint the corners, a lot of breaking balls down low. Ill have to congratulate Japans pitchers. The first two games we hit great. It might have been a little bit of nervousness with the importance of the game." Mexico took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Axcel Mandujano reached on an error by third baseman Shunpei Takagi, who bobbled Mandujanos bouncer and threw wide of first as the Mexican player ducked under the tag. The call stood as ruled after a challenge by Japan, and after Jorge Romero bounced into a fielders choice, eliminating pinch-runner Luis Manzo, left-handed hitting shortstop Jorge Rodriguez doubled down the left-field line over the outstretched glove of Kobayashi to score Romero from first. Japan evened the score in the bottom of the second. Kouyou Mizushima had a hustling double to right centre and scored on a two-out single up the middle by Ryusei Hirooka. Montes, who homered on the fifth pitch of the game in Mexicos rout of Panama, struck again in the top of the third. He slammed an 0-1 delivery well over the fence in left-centre for a 2-1 lead. Mendoza got out of a big jam in the bottom of the inning as his pitch count mounted. He walked Ishida to start the inning and Sho Miyao followed with an infield single that caromed off Mendozas glove. That gave Japan two men on and nobody out, but first baseman Jorge Rodriguez robbed Shunpei Takagi with a beautiful stop behind the bag as the runners moved into scoring position and Mendoza induced two weak popups to escape. Mendoza ran out of luck in the bottom of the fourth when Nishino crushed a 1-0 pitch far over the fence in centre to tie it again. Andy Isabella Jersey . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. Hakeem Butler Cardinals Jersey . The injury bothered Bledsoe in the Suns victory over the Clippers on Monday and he sat out the teams home loss to Memphis on Thursday night. http://www.thecardinalsshoponline.com/Youth-Kurt-Warner-Cardinals-Jersey/ . Following a lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the Prudential Center and addressing the players himself. Byron Murphy Cardinals Jersey . Kuznetsov, who was selected by the Capitals in the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, has been playing for his hometown team Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL. Andy Isabella Womens Jersey . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. BATON ROUGE - Ed Orgeron, who led the Tigers to a 5-2 mark as interim coach over the past two months, has been named LSUs head football coach, vice chancellor and director of athletics Joe Alleva announced on Saturday.Orgeron, a native of Larose, Louisiana, becomes the 33rd head football coach in LSU history. Orgeron, who has also served as head coach at Ole Miss and Southern Cal, is 11-4 in his Past 15 games as a head coach, which includes a 6-2 mark as interim coach at USC.This is a great day for LSU and for all of Louisiana, Alleva said. We got our man and hes been here all along. Coach Orgeron has demonstrated his ability to run this program with excellence, even under difficult circumstances. Coach O earned this job.I worked closely with (LSU) President Alexander and board leadership throughout a very deliberate process. By the end of that process, our decision was clear. Coach Orgeron took us step by step through every aspect of his plans for this program and there was no question that he is the man to lead LSU football.Since taking over as interim coach of the Tigers on Sept. 25, Orgeron guided LSU to a 5-2 mark, beating four Southeastern Conference opponents - Missouri, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Texas A&M - all by double-digits. LSUs two losses during that span came by a total of 16 points as the Tigers held top-ranked Alabama scoreless for three quarters and came up a yard short in falling to Florida, 16-10.In seven games under Orgeron, LSU set offensive records for most yards in a SEC game (634 vs. Missouri), longest scoring play from scrimmage (Derrius Guice 96-yard TD run vs. Arkansas), and twice set the school single-game rushing record (Leonard Fournette 284 yards vs. Ole Miss, Derrius Guice 285 yards vs. Texas A&M).Defensively, LSU held opponents scoreless for 14 of 28 quarters under Orgeron and limited the opposition to an average of 10.3 points per game over the seven contests. With 39 points, Texas A&M became the only team to score more than 21 points against LSU this year. Overall, LSUs defense, under Dave Aranda, ranks in the top three in the SEC in three major categories - scoring, total defense and rushing defense.Orgeron originally joined the Tiger staff in 2015 as defensive line coach, before adding the title of recruiting coordinator in the spring of 2016.In his first year with the Tigers in 2015, Orgerons defensive front served as a catalyst for a Tiger defense tthat ranked No.dddddddddddd3 in the SEC in both rushing yards (122.9 yards per game) and sacks (34). Six times in 2015 LSUs defense help opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing in a game, including limiting Mississippi State to 43 yards in the season-opener and Texas Tech to 29 in the Texas Bowl.Prior to joining the LSU staff, Orgerons last coaching stop came at Southern Cal where he served as recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach for the Trojans for four years (2010-13). Orgeron was elevated to interim head coach at USC for the final eight games of the 2013 season, leading the Trojans to a 6-2 mark over that span.As a player, Orgeron was a four-year starter on the defensive line for Northwestern State, captaining the Demons as a senior. He received his bachelors degree in liberal arts from Northwestern State in 1984.He starred in football, basketball and track at South Lafourche High in Galliano, La. On the big screen, Orgeron played himself in the 2009 Oscar-nominated movie, The Blind Side.Born July 27, 1961, he and his wife, Kelly, have three sons, Tyler, and twins Parker and Cody. Tyler is a member of the LSU football support staff, while twins Parker and Cody are in their first year as part of the McNeese State football team.Ed Orgeron File Year at LSU: Second (appointed Jan. 14, 2015)Birthdate: July 27, 1961, in Larose, La.Wife: KellyChildren: Tyler, Parker, CodyHigh School: South Lafourche High School (Galliano, La.)College: Northwestern State (La.), 1984Playing Experience1981-84 Northwestern (La.) State (defensive line)Coaching Experience 1984 Northwestern (La.) State (graduate assistant)1985 McNeese State (graduate assistant)1986-87 Arkansas (assistant strength coach)1988-92 Miami (Fla.) (graduate assistant, 1988; defensive line 1989-92)1994 Nicholls State (linebackers)1995-97 Syracuse (defensive line)1998-2004 Southern Cal (defensive line,1998-2002; recruiting coordinator, 2001-04)2005-07 Ole Miss (head coach)2008 New Orleans Saints (defensive line)2009 Tennessee (defensive line/recruiting coordinator)2010-12 Southern Cal (defensive coordinator/defensive line/recruiting coordinator, 2010-13; interim head coach, 2013)2015-16 LSU (defensive line; recruiting coordinator, 2016; interim head coach, Sept. 25, 2016, head coach, Nov. 26, 2016) ' ' '