The tiny island of Curaçao is a giant of youth baseball once again. Before an estimated crowd of 24,844 at Howard J. Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Pariba Little League of Willemstad overcame an early deficit and exploded for an 11-2 victory over Henderson, Nevada, to capture the 2026 Little League World Series championship on Sunday.
It’s the second title in program history for Curaçao — and its first since 2004 — capping a perfect 6-0 run through the tournament. Here’s how the biggest game in youth baseball played out.
How the Game Unfolded
For a few innings, it looked like Nevada might finally be the team to solve Curaçao’s pitching.
Paseo Verde Little League struck first, jumping to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second. After a bunt from Michael Kleiner, Maddox Bryan lined a single to center field to drive in two runs and send the Nevada fans along the first-base line into a frenzy.
But Curaçao answered immediately. In the top of the third, Shardijon De Lanoi lined a two-run single off the glove of a diving Kleiner at second base to knot the game at 2-2. From there, the international champions took over and never looked back.
The go-ahead blow came in the fourth, when Jaymiëll Martina — the pitching hero of Saturday’s international final — doubled to center to plate two runs and give Curaçao a 4-2 lead. Then came the backbreaker. In the top of the fifth, with the bases loaded, Juriënsly De Windt cleared them with a three-run double to center field that brought the Curaçao supporters to their feet and blew the game open at 7-2.
Curaçao tacked on three more in the sixth to invoke the double-digit cushion, and reliever Steven Felix slammed the door — striking out Brooks McFarland looking with the bases loaded to end it and set off the celebration in center field.
Championship Game Line Score
| Team | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curaçao (Willemstad) | 11 | 12 | — |
| Nevada (Henderson) | 2 | — | — |
The Difference: Balanced Bats and a Bullpen That Held
Curaçao’s offense saved its best for last, pounding out 12 hits — its highest output of the entire tournament. The damage was spread around, but two names stood out: Juriënsly De Windt and Shardijon De Lanoi each drove in three runs, combining for six of Curaçao’s 11 RBIs.
On the mound, Curaçao rode a three-man effort that only got stronger as the game went on. De Windt started and allowed just two runs (one earned) over three innings before handing off to the bullpen. Giendry Ryan struck out four over 2 1/3 dominant innings, and Felix closed it out, forcing Nevada’s final batter to pop out to center. All told, the trio combined to allow just two runs on five hits over six innings with seven strikeouts.
That pitching depth had been Curaçao’s calling card all tournament long, and it proved to be the separator once again in the final.
A Program Built on Big Moments — and Big Leaguers
Curaçao’s championship pedigree is remarkable for an island of roughly 158,000 people located about 40 miles off the coast of Venezuela. The team reached the final for the third time in five years, having also won international titles in 2019, 2022, and 2023.
The country’s baseball roots run deep. The squad that won Curaçao’s first LLWS title back in 2004 produced two future major leaguers in Jurickson Profar and Jonathan Schoop. More broadly, Curaçao has sent a stunning number of players to the big leagues, including Andrelton Simmons, Kenley Jansen, Didi Gregorius, Ozzie Albies, and Xander Bogaerts. Sunday’s champions now join that proud lineage.
History for Nevada, Even in Defeat
Though the result stung, Nevada’s run carried its own landmark moment. Outfielder Carsynn Meyer became the first American girl to play in a Little League World Series championship game, and just the second girl to do so in tournament history, after Japan’s Sayaka Tsushima in 1998. A day earlier, Meyer had also become the first girl to record a hit in a U.S. Championship game.
Nevada fans honored her throughout the weekend, waving signs along the first-base line — including one featuring Rosie the Riveter dedicated to Meyer. It marked the second straight year a team from Nevada represented the United States in the final, though the state remains in search of its first-ever LLWS championship.
The Bottom Line
The 2026 Little League World Series delivered a fitting finish: a resilient, disciplined Curaçao team that refused to flinch after falling behind early, then unloaded when it mattered most. With a perfect tournament run, a suffocating pitching staff, and an offense that peaked on the biggest stage, Pariba Little League brought a championship back to Willemstad for the first time in more than two decades.
For a tiny island that keeps producing outsized baseball talent, it was one more moment of glory — and, if history is any guide, perhaps a glimpse of future big leaguers taking their first bow on the sport’s brightest youth stage.
Stay with BaseballResource.org for continued coverage of the Little League World Series and the players and programs shaping the future of the game.
