August 23, 2009 9:19 AM PDT| Updated: 1:41 PM PDT August 25, 2009
Even for the little leaguers down at the local park, getting to the championships is a big deal. For the Beijing Dodgers, a team of 11- and 12-year-olds from Beijing, the journey to the United States already has been the thrill of a lifetime.
But on Saturday morning, when the Dodgers walked into Lamade Stadium in Williamsport, Pa., for their first game in the Little League World Series, the bright lights suddenly seemed a bit too bright, the cheers a bit too loud and the game a bit too fast.
The Beijing Dodgers ended up losing their first game 3-1 to the Park View Little Leaguers from Virginia, but the score hardly tells the story.
At one point, the Dodgers had runners at the corners and just one out, but they never got the key hit to drive in a run. In the end, they left nine runners on base and made four errors – uncharacteristic for a team that had been touted as a potential contender for the title.
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