Mo'ne Davis beaten in Little League World Series

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Dallan Cave and Brennan Holligan hit two-run homers, lefthanded reliever Austin Kryszczuk got out of two big jams, and Las Vegas beat Philadelphia and star pitcher Mo'ne Davis, 8-1, in the Little League World Series last night.

That puts Las Vegas in Saturday's U.S. title game and sends Philadelphia into an elimination game tonight against Chicago's Jackie Robinson team. The Great Lakes champion beat Pearland, Texas, 6-1, Tuesday night in an elimination game.

Davis, the darling of the sports world with her amazing success and poise, was both masterful and ordinary on a night made short because of pitch-count rules. She allowed three runs and six hits and struck out six in 21/3 innings before leaving after 55 pitches. That makes her eligible to pitch again in the U.S. championship game on Saturday.

Davis played first after her stint on the mound and was switched to rightfield in the top of the sixth.

The grassy hill beyond the outfield fences at Howard J. Lamade Stadium was jammed with so many cheering fans in lawn chairs that it looked like the bleacher section at any ballpark as 34,128 fans craned to see every pitch.

The 5-4 Davis tries to use the first two innings to get to know the plate umpire's strike zone, and the first time through the order gauges where the opposing players don't like the ball. It worked like a charm in her first outing in the World Series as she pitched a two-hit shutout. She didn't get that chance on this night against hard-hitting Las Vegas, which had outscored its first two opponents 25-4.