TAYLOR, MICH (Fox 2) - Jayden Valdez is the hero for California's Junior League World Series team, as he propelled his team to a 6-3 victory over the 4-time defending champions from Chinese Taipei in extra innings Sunday afternoon at Taylor's Heritage Park.
Chinese Taipei had won four in a row and eight of nine titles, putting a strangle-hold on the annual event for baseball's 14-under division.
La Mirada, California captured the 2026 Junior League World Series Championship win the win over the Shing-Ming Junior Little League from Chinese Taipei.
The game’s big swing came from Jayden Valdez, who lined a three-run home run down the left field line in the top of the 10th inning, breaking a 3-3 deadlock. Jayden Lopez and Ryder Ong scored in front of Valdez. When Jerimiah Ortega set down Chinese Taipei 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning, La Mirada had its first JLWS title since 2003.
The game, pitting the tournament’s only unbeaten teams (3-0 each), was nip and tuck all the way, featuring great pitching, excellent defense and enough power to score key runs.
California scored first when starting pitcher Adam Brewer hit a solo home run to left-center field in the fourth inning. But Chinese Taipei rallied for a run in the bottom of the inning when En-Yu Chen beat out a slow infield bouncer down the third base line with a head-first slide into first base.
The score remained 1-1 until the top of the sixth when Lucas Gaeta and Nathan Dowling reached base on singles. With two out, the next hitter, Ong, fouled a 3-2
The team from California pulled off the upset over the 4-time defending champions from Chinese Taipei
pitch off his leg that stung him – but keep the inning alive. The reliable lead-off hitter then lined a single to center that gave California a 2-1 lead.
Brewer kept California in front by going six full innings, giving up just one run on three hits and three walks. When he left the game due to the pitch count rule, leading 2-1, Ortega (who just missed a home run in the top of the seventh) took the mound in the bottom half of the inning – and immediately got into trouble.
Tian-En Ma beat out an infield single and Yung-Tai Hsu walked. Yi-Le Sung attempted to bunt the runners into scoring position but ended up with an infield single when Ortega slipped fielding the ball … bases loaded, no outs.
Ortega got Chia-Jui Yu to pop out, but a passed ball against the next hitter scored Ma with the tying run, 2-2.
Chinese Taipei had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. But a missed suicide squeeze bunt resulted in a rundown between home and third base and shut down the rally.
California scored in the top of the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Dowlin, but again Chinese Taipei retied the game in the bottom of the inning on another passed ball, pushing a 3-3 game into the 10th inning.
Which is exactly where Valdez wanted it and he didn’t miss his pitch.
The win went to Ortega, who pitched four innings and gave up two runs.