North Carolina is headed to the U.S. Little League Championship after a big win Wednesday night.
The team from Greenville will compete for the U.S. title 3:30 p.m. Saturday, facing off against the winner of Thursday's game between Texas and New England.
The U.S. winner will then play the international team for the Little League World Series title.
Here's some reflections on the big win by ABC11's Mark Armstrong.
Growing up, Taiwan and Chinese Taipei were synonymous with Little League World Series dominance. Back when only the title game was televised (what a quaint world it was), the only question was how big the margin of victory would be for the juggernauts from the Far East.
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With rare exception, the scoreboard was pummeled into oblivion. They seemed on another level, playing a different game.
Flash forward now to 2017 and amazingly, wondrously, it's little old Greenville, NC, that's become the epicenter of Little League astonishment.
Two games in and they've yet to allow a hit, much less a run. That's never been done at the LLWS before.
An opening-game perfect game vs. Sioux Falls, SD, was followed by a 16-0 no-hit demolition of some poor dudes from Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
Never mind slapping fives with the St. Louis Cardinals beforehand:
The pitching has been brilliant, the bats no less so.
Greenville North State gear is sold out at the merchandise stands. They are a phenomenon. You want invincible? Look to Team Southeast.
They passed the next test, squeezing out a 2-1 victory against Lufkin, Texas or 'Team Southwest' for a spot in the US title game, scoring the winning run in the seventh inning.
It wasn't the cakewalk of the first two games, but now Greenville's boys needs just two more wins, and they'll have flexed their way to a world championship.