Media Loses Hard Fought Little League World Series Battle: What's Next

WILLIAMSPORT, PA — Delco has been taking on the world all summer, and for fourteen straight games, they've been as invincible as the 2022 Phillies were last fall. The team from Media finally met their match in the Little League World Series Wednesday night, falling to Needeville, Texas, 2-1.

Before a national audience on ESPN and a packed crowd under the lights in Williamsport, Media put forth a valiant effort, battling down to their last strike. It wasn't quite enough to overcome an epic pitching performance from Texas starter DJ Jablonski, who threw five and two-thirds innings of one-run ball.

Media is not eliminated, however, and they could even have a chance at redemption against Texas in the future. On Saturday at 2 p.m., they'll play the the team that loses the matchup between the Northwest and New England.

Media pitcher Austin Crowley was electric once again, just days after he shut out Washington D.C. up in Connecticut in the game that clinched his team's birth in Williamsport. He shut down Texas through three innings, racking up six strikeouts. He was vulnerable in the 4th, finally allowing two runs and snapping Media's absurd 15-inning scoreless streak dating back to their previous two games.

On the Texas side, Needeville's Jablonski was just as impressive, mowing down seven Media hitters through four innings, and shutting out Media into the fifth.

It was Christian Nunez who finally got Media going, ripping a liner into the left field alley and tearing putting in a huge effort to stretch a double into a triple. A few pitches later his effort paid off, as he scored on a passed ball to narrow Texas' lead to 2-1.

Sharp defense prevailed for Media in the top of the sixth, and they rallied late with a walk and a passed ball to put a man on second with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. But Texas was just barely able to close it out.

The past several days have been nothing short of magical for the Delco boys, getting shout-outs from the Phillies, Eagles, Sixers, and Flyers on social media. More personalized well wishes were offered by figures as varied as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Phillies managing partner John Middleton, and Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.

Catch up on the last great team from Pennsylvania that made history in the Little League World Series: The Mythical Boys Of Red Land.

No Pennsylvania team has won it all since Levittown did it in 1960. But most Little League aficionados remember well the boys from Red Land in York County, who won the USA championship in 2015 after an epic summer of dingers.

And if you want to stock up on your own "Delco vs. the world" t-shirts ahead of Saturday's game to support Media Little League, the online shop is here.