It’s a dream week on the diamond for Nathaniel Factor.
The Tsawwassen baseball player is in Williamsport, Pa., as a member of Team Canada for the Little League World Series. Factor helped the White Rock All-Stars earn the opportunity to represent their country at the renowned tournament by capturing the Canadian Little League Championship on the weekend in Medicine Hat.
The team of 11-and-12-year-olds capped a perfect run with a 12-5 victory over Quebec’s Mirabel Diamond Academy in the title game played on Saturday. The newly crowned champions left for Williamsport Sunday and are scheduled to open play Thursday against Italy at 2 p.m. (PDT). A victory would put Canada up against the winner of Venezuela/Mexico on Sunday in the double knockout international bracket.
The 16-team Little League World Series will conclude Aug. 27 with the International and American winners squaring off in the championship game.
Factor is part of White Rock’s pitching staff and also starts in centre field. At the plate, he batted .440 over eight games at the Nationals with nine RBI. On the mound he finished with a 2-0 record and a save.
He earned the victory in White Rock’s come-from-behind win over Glace Bay, NS. He tossed two-and-one-third innings of hitless ball, striking out six of the eight batters he faced in a relief role. Only a dropped ball prevented a seventh strike. The save came in a hard-fought 6-5 round-robin victory over Quebec.
White Rock’s road to Williamsport included unbeaten runs at Districts, Provincials and the Nationals, culminating a four-year journey for many of the players including Factor.
It’s the fourth time White Rock has represented Canada in Williamsport as B.C. teams continued its domination at Nationals.
