What Happened
The Chiriquí team defeated Panamá Oeste 8-4 in the third and decisive game of the national Little League final to claim the Panamanian championship and earn a direct berth to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The game was tied 2-2 after three innings before Chiriquí broke the contest open with a five-run rally in the top of the fourth. The team added an insurance run in the sixth to seal the 8-4 victory.
Key Players and Performance
Dominick Saavedra was one of Chiriquí’s offensive leaders, going 2-for-2 with four runs batted in and a run scored. Saavedra said after the game: “Fue un partido difícil, pero pude manejar la presión. La clave de la victoria estuvo en la concentración.”
Other contributors included Obed Fuentes, who went 3-for-3 with two runs, and Thiago De Gracia, who was 2-for-1 with a double and an RBI. For Panamá Oeste (the Vaqueros), Alams Rodríguez finished 2-for-1 with a double and an RBI, while Armando Stanziola went 2-for-1 with a run batted in.
On the mound, reliever Kaled Valdés earned the win, working 1.2 innings and allowing two hits and two runs. The loss went to Wyolil Rose, who surrendered seven hits and four earned runs over three innings.
Background
The winning squad is the David Doleguita Little League team representing Chiriquí. Their national title returns Chiriquí to the Little League World Series after a 32-year absence; the province last attended the prestigious tournament in 1993.
The national final began on Thursday and went the full three games, with each team taking one of the first two contests before Chiriquí closed the series in the third game on Friday.
What This Means
Chiriquí will represent Panama at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, scheduled for August 19-30, 2026. The province’s return after more than three decades is a milestone for youth baseball in Chiriquí and a chance for these young players to compete on the international stage.