Umpire’s borderline strike seals Iowa’s no-hitter, sparking backlash
California’s Sweetwater Valley LL fell 1-0 to Iowa in the Little League World Series after a controversial third-strike call with one out in the sixth inning sealed the combined no-hitter. Iowa’s Cooper Thissen struck out 15 in 5 1/3 innings before leaving on a pitch-count, and Anthony Johnson Jr. finished the game. The disputed call has sparked social-media outrage, as California heads to the US elimination bracket while representing Davenport Northwest LL of Iowa’s Midwest region.