Underdog Canada eliminated from Little League World Series by highly touted Japan

WILLIAMSPORT — Canada’s improbable run at the Little League World Series has come to an end.

Taiga Yumitori drove in three runs and scored twice as Japan eliminated Canada from the youth baseball tournament with a 7-3 victory on Wednesday.

Canada’s rep team from Little Mountain, Vancouver, was a win away from the tournament’s quarterfinals.

It’s the deepest a Canadian team has gone in the Little League World Series since 2017.

Canada upset Panama 3-2 on Monday then stunned South Korea 5-1 on Tuesday in an elimination game to set up the showdown against Japan.

The Japanese jumped out to an early 7-0 lead after scoring four runs in the second inning and three in the third. Canada answered back with a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 26, 2026.

The Canadian Press