The Phenix City, Alabama Little League team defeated Tacoma, Washington, 4-2 [1] during an elimination game on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026 [3].
The victory allows the Alabama squad to advance further in the tournament bracket while ending the season for the team from Washington.
The contest took place in Williamsport, Pennsylvania [4], the traditional home of the Little League World Series. The game aired on ESPN2 at 2 p.m. ET as part of the Tuesday elimination slate, according to The Big Lead staff [5].
Phenix City secured the win by scoring key runs late in the game. Mike McGarry of USA Today said Phenix City rallied in the seventh inning to secure the 4-2 win over Tacoma [2].
The loss for Tacoma comes during a high-stakes round where the loser is immediately removed from the competition [6]. The match was part of a series of elimination games designed to narrow the field of international and domestic teams competing for the championship title [6].
While some reports initially suggested a different outcome, primary records from ESPN and USA Today confirm the 4-2 final score in favor of Alabama [1, 2]. The game highlights were later released by ESPN to showcase the deciding plays of the match [7].
“Phenix City rallied in the seventh inning to secure a 4-2 win over Tacoma.”
This result shifts the momentum of the 2026 Little League World Series bracket, eliminating a strong Northwest representative and positioning the Phenix City team as a resilient contender capable of late-game rallies. The win reinforces the volatility of the elimination round, where a single inning can determine the survival of a team's season.
