California waits
for Hawaii

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. » Talk about a net gain for Rancho Buena Vista.

A disputed call went its way, and now the team from California is on the way to the United States title game at the Little League World Series.

An apparent three-run home run by Maitland, Fla., was instead ruled a double, and that was the break Rancho Buena Vista needed in a 6-2 semifinal victory last night.

"We play all year setting goals," Rancho Buena Vista manager Marty Miller said. "Now our goal is to get to the (World Series) championship game."

In an international semifinal game yesterday, Japan was an 11-0 winner over Surrey, British Columbia.

Guam will play defending series champion Willemstad, Curacao, and West Oahu of Ewa Beach will face Lafayette, La., in the other semis today.

The world championship is Sunday.

The controversial play came in the bottom of the third with Maitland down 2-0. With two runners on and two out, Mike Tomlinson laced a line drive off winning pitcher Kalen Pimentel that hit about a foot up the netting attached to the left-field foul pole, hit the top of the wall and bounced back into play.

Tomlinson thought he homered, but the umps immediately ruled the hit a two-run double. Maitland manager Sid Cash dashed out to argue, but -- without the benefit of replay -- the call was not reversed.

"It just hurt the momentum for us," Cash said. "I think if we're up 3-2, we'd have the lead and then see how they'd respond. It has an effect on everything."

Little League spokesman Lance Van Auken issued a statement of support for left field umpire Steve Ouellet, saying, "It is very easy to make a call after seeing a replay at various angles. Even Major League Baseball umpires make mistakes."

Cash refused to let Ouellet off the hook.

"For him not to come out and look at it, he has no base calls to make," Cash said.

Miller was too busy celebrating -- and talking about potential U.S. championship game opponents -- to worry about the call.

"I really don't want to get into the umpire situation," he said. "The tape will speak for itself."