Judge backs Little League Baseball decision to remove Tulsa - ESPN

A Texas court backed a decision to remove a Tulsa, Oklahoma, team from the Southwest Region and keep it from playing in Tuesday's championship game for a spot in the Little League Baseball World Series, according to a statement from a Little League spokesperson.

Little League Baseball on Monday determined a player ineligible and removed Tulsa National from the region, deeming its previous game a forfeit. Later Monday, parents of players on the team filed and were granted a temporary restraining order from 414th District Court in McLennan County, Texas, allowing Tulsa to play for the title against West Texas on Tuesday night.

But Little League Baseball then asked the court to vacate the order, which it did on Tuesday afternoon, not long before the scheduled first pitch in Waco, Texas.

«We appreciate the court's timely and considered decision to vacate the temporary restraining order,» Little League Baseball said in a statement, «allowing enforcement of the tournament committee's decision to remove Tulsa Nation Little League from the Southwest Region Tournament and declare its previous game a forfeit.»

As a result, West Texas, represented by a team from Boerne Little League, secured the region's berth in next week's international tournament in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, with Monday's 4-1 victory over Louisiana. Tulsa had defeated Louisiana earlier in the tournament.

«The decision upholds our commitment to a fair and equitable experience for all children based on our Official Rules, Regulations, and Operating Policies,» the organization's statement said. «We empathize with the children of Tulsa National Little League and the likely disappointment this decision has caused. We recognize how memorable the Little League