Coming into Game Nine of the 55th Little League World Series, Brownsburg Indiana definitely had the advantage over Lincoln, Rhode Island. Brownsburg had won their game the previous night and controlled their own destiny in the quest for a berth in a United States semifinal contest. Lincoln, on the other hand, lost yesterday to Oceanside, California, and was in dire need of a victory.

“We were confident,” said Brownsburg pitcher Kyle Waggoner. “We knew that win or lose we had a good shot at advancing to the semifinals.”

Brownsburg was simply too much for Lincoln to handle, and the game ended with the team from the Great Lakes region on top, 5-1.

Brownsburg came up big in the third inning. A.J. Stanich got things going with a single to right. After Alex Berlyn struck out, leadoff hitter Jeff King came to the plate and roped a shot to right, which landed just beyond the diving Chris Randall. Stanich came all the way around from first to score, as King headed to third for a triple. 

The champs from the Great Lakes Region were not finished. Kyle Waggoner reached base after being hit by a pitch, and during the next at-bat he and King executed a double steal, which plated King. 

On the next pitch, T.J. Baumet apparently got a pitch he liked. He hit a 2-run homer that traveled an estimated 50 feet beyond the fence.

Rhode Island was able to put out the fire two batters later by turning a double play.

Lincoln tried to climb back in it in the bottom of the inning. Seth Labossiere started the frame with a base hit to right, and then advanced to second when Steve Calicchia reached base on an error. 

Two passed balls later, Labossiere slid safely into home and gave Lincoln their first run of the game. 

Lincoln proceeded to load the bases, but with the aid of a 1-2-3 double play, and a strike out courtesy of Waggoner, Brownsberg was able to get out of the jam.

“I was a little nervous because I had some control trouble early in the game,” Waggoner said. “I just tried to put the ball over the plate and let my defense take care of the defense.”

Brownsburg padded their lead in the fifth inning. Baumet reached first on an infield single and then advanced to second when Lincoln third-base man Labossiere sailed his throw over the head of the first baseman. Baumet moved to third on a single by Nick Decker, and scored on a passed ball. Baumet’s run improved Brownsburg’s lead to four runs.

In the end, the big fourth inning by Brownsburg proved enough for starting pitcher Waggoner. With the win, Brownsburg just about assured themselves of a spot in a U.S. semifinal match-up.

- David Graham-Caso
Special Correspondent