Canada second baseman William Quito, right, tags out Panama's Sebastien Carrizo as he tries to advance on a hit by teammate Irving Indunis in the fourth inning. (Matt Slocum/Associated Press)

Lucas Soper pitched all six innings and scored two runs to lead Canada over Panama 4-2 at the Little League World Series on Saturday in South Williamsport, Pa.

It was Canada's opening game of the tournament. The team will next take on the winner between fellow Pool D teams Taiwan and Saudi Arabia, which were scheduled to play later Saturday.

Canada opened the scoring in the second inning when William Quito singled, advanced on a wild pitch and then scored on a Panama error.

The Vancouver-based Mountaineers pushed their lead in the next inning when Quito hit a two-run single with two outs to bring home Soper and Sam Jenkins.

Soper, who gave up six hits and two runs with two strikeouts and no walks, went 2-for-3 at the plate.

Francisco Gonzalez hit a solo homer in the third for the Latin Americans, who had a chance to win in the bottom of the sixth with the bases loaded. But Soper, who was down to his last batter due to Little League pitch count rules, got William Savedra to ground out to end the game.

"I was ready for the change," Soper said. "I was excited I had one more batter. I [knew] I had to dig down deep and get that last out."

Canada has an odd tradition to keep the team loose. Quito, who drove in two runs, stuck a nylon sock wrapped in a red, plastic hazardous material bag in the face of manager Pat Reynold at the post-game news conference. The sock hadn't been washed in six weeks.

If players don't smile while at the plate, they get the sock. If all the kids smile during their at-bats, the manager or the coach has to take the sock.

In other games Saturday, Jacob Jones went deep twice and Hamilton, Ohio outslugged Toms River, N.J., 16-6, Columbus, Georgia, beat Waipahu, Hawaii, 6-2 and Kaoshiung, Taiwan routed Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 18-0.