Davenport, Iowa’s Jameson Andresen, left, scores on a wild pitch by Major Rodarte of Bonney Lake, Wash., right, during the first inning of a game at the Little League World Series. The game was not without controversy.
Jameson Andresen of Davenport, Iowa, left, scores on a wild pitch by Major Rodarte of Bonney Lake, Wash., right, during the first inning of a baseball game at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022. Iowa won 6-3, but the game was not without controversy. Gene J. Puskar, Associated Press
Kelsey Dallas
By Kelsey Dallas
Kelsey is an assistant managing editor for the Deseret News. She covers religion, sports and the Supreme Court.

A Little League team from Davenport, Iowa, was one out away from victory Saturday when a questionable call extended the game. The coach then called his players to the mound for a meeting, which is when a hot mic captured one of the kids spreading a conspiracy theory.

“It’s just for ESPN. ... It’s for ESPN so they can come back,” the Iowa player says, as his coach begins his pep talk.

The video of the incident, captured during Saturday’s action at the Little League World Series, is one of the most viral moments from the tournament so far. Several national outlets have covered the kid’s comments, which came after an ump called a ball on what looked to be an obvious strike.

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“Bad umps or ESPN conspiracy?” asked USA Today’s sports vertical, “For the Win,” in a tweet about the video.

After the meeting, the Iowa team was able to prevent its opponent from scoring. Davenport won the game 6-3.

Iowa then beat Utah’s Little League team 10-2 on Sunday to remain alive in the elimination bracket.

Iowa’s next Little League World Series game is on Tuesday.

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