Sweetwater Valley must get through Texas

Sweetwater Valley is one revenge victory away from becoming the third South County team in seven years to reach the U.S. Championship game at the Little League World Series.

To reach Saturday’s U.S. title game, Sweetwater Valley will have to beat Pearland (Texas) West, the team that beat SVLL on Sunday. Pearland fell, 3-0, to Red Land (Penn.) on Wednesday night.

“We want a rematch,” Sweetwater's Levi Mendez said. “That wasn’t right. We were loopy.”

Sweetwater Valley committed five errors, had its fewest hits (six) and fewest runs in its 8-4 loss to Pearland.

“I’d rather play Pennsylvania,” Preston Fleming said earlier Wednesday. “But playing Texas would be fun, being able to come back.”

Should they win, the all-star team from Bonita would earn a chance on Saturday to match what those from Chula Vista have done before them.

Parkview Little League, which plays its games at fields seven miles from Sweetwater Valley’s home park, won the World Series in 2009. Eastlake Little League, about six miles from Sweetwater Valley, won the U.S. title in 2013.

“It means so much to finally meet our goal in life,” said 12-year-old Levi Mendez, Sweetwater Valley’s leading hitter. “Our dream was to come here. When we were little, our idols were the players from Parkview and Eastlake.”

Since the loss to Pearland, SVLL has won twice.

Regardless of Thursday‘s outcome, Sweetwater Valley has accomplished the remarkable feat of being one of the final three U.S. teams out of more than 6,500 that fielded all-star teams that begin tournament play in July.

Manager Ward Lannom’s message to his players over the past few day has been simple:

“You’re champions already.”