SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Bases loaded with nobody out in the last of the sixth inning. The chants and cheers emanating from the boisterous flag-waving section of Mexican fans at a series-long peak. The winning run standing at the plate in the form of Mexico's cleanup hitter.

That is the situation Kawaguchi City, Japan, pitcher Go Matsumoto was summoned into on Saturday night at Lamade Stadium in the International Championship of the Little League World Series.

"I was a bit nervous," Matsumoto said through a translator. "The whole world championship is on the line."

It hardly showed as Matsumoto coolly left the bases loaded to clinch a 3-0 win over Matamoros, Mexico, and land Japan a berth in Sunday's World Championship against Columbus, Ga.

Contrasting the style of starter Seigo Yada, who carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before allowing three straight singles, Matsumoto went to his overwhelming fastball to strike out a pair and retire the side on nine pitches.

2006 Little League WORLD SERIES AUG. 18-27 | WILLIAMSPORT, PA. Schedule Wednesday - Aug. 23, 2006 International Semifinal • Mexico 11, Venezuela 0 (4 inn.) United States Semifinal • Beaverton (Ore.) 4, Lemont (Ill.) 3 Thursday – Aug. 24, 2006 International Semifinal • Kawaguchi City, Japan 4, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia 1 United States Semifinal • Columbus (Ga.) 8, Portsmouth (N.H.) 0 Saturday – Aug. 26, 2006 • Columbus (Ga.) 7, Beaverton (Ore.) 3 • Kawaguchi City, Japan 3, Matamoros, Mexico 0 Monday – Aug. 28, 2006 • Columbus (Ga.) 2, Kawaguchi City, Japan 1

"We just couldn't adjust. The pitches were coming in 77, 78 miles per hour and we're just not used to seeing that," Mexico coach Candelario Perez said. "We couldn't pull it off."

He was hardly thrilled. For Perez, the distinction of being one of the globe's top four teams had yet to settle in.

"It just hurts really bad because we weren't able to achieve the goal that we really set forth, to win the World Series," Perez said. "I feel for the kids because we really had that goal in mind. Not only to come here, but win."

The difference on Saturday was Japan's big fourth inning. After tossing a perfect first three innings, Mexico pitcher Josue Barron swiftly unraveled in the fourth.

Yada led off the frame with a drive deep over the hedges in left field, his fourth home run of the series. Pinch-hitter Kohsuke Murata then reached on an infield single before Matsumoto drove another home run well beyond the left field fence.

Roberto Guajardo halted the damage by striking out six of the next eight Japanese hitters and tossing a scoreless final three innings. The earlier dent looked to be too much to surmount against Japan starter Seigo Yada, though.

Through five innings, only one Mexican base runner reached second base. But Yada, who tossed a complete game win over Mexico earlier this week, said in an interesting explanation that the high-stress atmosphere of pitching in a tied championship game for three innings had finally caught up with him.

"In the game against Mexico, I started off with a home run, which let me relax quite a bit and I was able to throw an entire game," Yada said. "We didn't start off very strong today, so I was putting too much power into my pitches. As the game wore on, I grew tired a little faster."

Matsumoto made it matter little, as he picked up his buddy and allowed for their dream ride to carry on through Sunday.

"The kids are going to have a great memory of [the series]," Japan coach Shigeru Hidaka said. "It's exciting."