The 2001 Little League World Series took place between August 17 and August 26 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The Kitasuna Little League of Tokyo, Japan, defeated Apopka National Little League of Apopka, Florida, in the championship game of the 55th Little League World Series (LLWS). This tournament saw the expansion of pool play to 16 teams, eight from the United States, and eight from around the world. This was the first LLWS to use Little League Volunteer Stadium; it was built to accommodate games added to the pool stage and to host the tournament's consolation game for third place.
Following the conclusion of the tournament, Danny Almonte, a pitcher from the Bronx, New York, team representing the Mid-Atlantic Region, was the center of a scandal when it was discovered that he was not eligible to play in the tournament because he was two years over the maximum age limit. Because of this, the Mid-Atlantic team was retroactively assessed a forfeit for each game they won in the tournament.[1] The team's statistics, including a perfect game thrown by Almonte, were also invalidated.[1]
Between five and twelve teams take part in 16 regional qualification tournaments, which vary in format depending on region. In the United States, the qualification tournaments are in the same format as the Little League World Series itself: a round-robin tournament followed by an elimination round to determine the regional champion.
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States.
Pool play
The top two teams in each pool moved on to the elimination round.
United States
Pool A
Region
Record
Indiana
3–0
California
2–1
Louisiana
1–2
Rhode Island
0–3
Pool B
Region
Record
Florida
2–1
Washington
1–2‡
Iowa
0–3
New York
0–3†
† Bronx, New York, won all three of their pool games, but were later assessed forfeits due to their use of an ineligible player.[1] ‡ Bainbridge Island, Washington, was retroactively placed second in Pool B due to the Bronx forfeits.
† Game ended by "mercy rule" (at least 10-run difference through 5 innings)
Elimination rounds
The 2001 Little League World Series was the first edition that had a female umpire call the championship game: Flora Stansbury from Seneca, Missouri. U.S. President George W. Bush, himself a little leaguer as a child, was also in attendance at the championship game. Nobuhisa Baba's single in the bottom of the sixth drove in the winning run.[5]
The Kitasuna LL reached the LLWS with an undefeated record of four wins and no losses.[9] In total, their record was 9–1, their only loss coming in the LLWS qualifying round against Santiago de Veraguas LL of Panama.
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Tokyo, Japan 
Apopka, Florida 
