TAYLOR, Mich. — David Lee squeezed until he had nothing left, and then he squeezed some more.

He squeezed more pitches from his right arm (more than 100) than he had ever thrown. He pitched more innings (eight) than he had ever pitched. And, when Pearl City was about to be eliminated in the seventh inning of its Little League Junior (ages 13-14) World Series U.S. championship game against East Lake, Fla., he squeezed two runs across the plate to tie the score and send the game into extra innings.

But Lee's eight innings pitched, two base hits and two RBIs weren't enough to squeeze out a win for Pearl City, which lost 7-6 yesterday in nine innings. Pearl City will play Puerto Rico today in a game that will determine the No. 3 team in the world.

"The last couple innings (Lee) pitched, everything was coming from inside," Pearl City coach Mark Nakamura said, pointing to his chest. "I know that he left everything out on the field, and I told him that. He left everything out there for his teammates."

Leading 6-4, East Lake had a chance to clinch it in the top of the seventh inning. But Robert Brown led off with a single and Bryson Nakamura followed with a double. An out later, Lee came to the plate. He attempted a suicide squeeze, but the ball trickled foul.

"I didn't think (coach Nakamura) was going to let me do it again," Lee said.

But after Lee took the next pitch for a ball, Nakamura called for the squeeze play again. Lee delivered a bunt down the first-base line that scored Brown easily from third. Nakamura rounded third and beat East Lake catcher Tyler Coats in a foot race to home plate after an off-target throw from first baseman Martin Franco. Nakamura slid across the plate with the tying run.

Pearl City went down in order in the eighth and ninth innings, then East Lake loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth. East Lake shortstop Lincoln Durham flew to deep right for the second out, but that allowed Chad Reiss to tag at third and score the winning run. Reiss barely beat the tag from Pearl City catcher Carlton Tanabe.

Pearl City played without one of its stars, shortstop/pitcher Alika Pruett, who took a cleat to the mouth during Thursday's game and had to get four stitches. Pruett missed yesterday's game because of an upset stomach caused by his medication.

"I think the outcome might have been different (if Pruett had played)," Nakamura said.

Afterward, Pruett stood on the field, surrounded by teammates.

"We're second in the U.S. ... third in the world," Pruett said. "In the world," he repeated, breaking up with emotion. "You guys played a hell of a game."