Mo'ne Davis brings big ratings to Little League

BRISTOL, Conn. -- Pitching sensation Mo'ne Davis' latest start drew record-setting television viewership for the Little League World Series.

Her game Wednesday night attracted the largest audience for the event on ESPN, the network said Thursday. The 8-1 loss by Davis' Philadelphia team to Las Vegas earned a 3.1 rating and was watched by an average of nearly 5 million people, up 155 percent from the corresponding game last year.

The 13-year-old Davis rose to a national celebrity after becoming the first girl to pitch a shutout at the LLWS. She was removed after just 2 1-3 innings Wednesday, allowing three runs and striking out six.

The previous high for a LLWS game on ESPN was 3.3 million in 2001 for the match-up between Oceanside, California, and Danny Almonte's team from the Bronx. Championship games on ABC have drawn bigger audiences.

Wednesday's game received a 16.3 rating in Las Vegas and a 14.9 in Philadelphia.

Ratings represent the percentage of homes with televisions tuned to a program.