Hamilton’s West Side Little League All-Stars take the field Saturday afternoon for the United States championship at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. The 3:30 p.m. game against Paseo Verde Little League of Henderson, Nevada, airs on ABC. The winner advances to Sunday’s World Series championship game. The loser plays in the third-place consolation game. Manager Tim Nichting spoke with WMOH after Thursday’s 7-1 win over Davenport, Iowa — a game that came just hours after West Side eliminated Alabama. “The biggest thing I’m gonna say, my biggest feeling is just pride, just pride,” Nichting said. “Pride in Hamilton, pride in my baseball team, glad I can make all these people in Hamilton happy. Wow, how humbling too that we’re actually in the USA Championship game. I mean, wow, humbling as can be.” West Side is making its sixth trip to Williamsport, more than any other program. Nichting has coached at West Side for 43 years. “A lot of pride in my team in Hamilton,” he said. “Been doing this for 43 years at Westside and, wow, just a crazy feeling that my little league team, our little league team in Hamilton is gonna be playing for the best team in little league in the USA.” The Iowa game followed a short night. Kids were in bed around 11:30 p.m. after the Alabama win and up at 7 a.m. They still scored four runs in the first inning.

Walker Osborne threw a complete-game four-hitter. “Walker threw the game of his life,” Nichting said. “Iowa had two really good hitters at the top of the order. He gave up a double to one of them, but for the most part Walker battled. It’s pretty crazy to get a complete game out of a six-inning game.” West Side has a day off before Saturday. Nichting said pitching should be fine. “We should be alright. We got Josiah Infante. He had a little sore arm last night, that’s why he only threw two, but we’ll have him and Bob Frazier and Leo Feltner. It’ll be three kids, and we like all three and hopefully they can get it done.” If the team reaches Sunday, Boone Treadway is available. Two more wins would make West Side world champions. “Hard to believe, two more wins we’re world champs,” Nichting said. “And we got the pitching to do it. I like the guys going Saturday. … Let’s go Hamilton.” The U.S. championship is Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.