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Needville, Texas has not slugged it way into the U.S. Championship. The Southwest champions have won four hard-fought Little League World Series games, reaching the final after winning a nine-inning, 1-0 thriller against Washington last Wednesday.
That game featured game-saving plays by both teams, dominant pitching and enough plot twists to make M. Night Shyamalan envious. That game followed close wins against Pennsylvania, North Dakota, a game which was tied 2-2 in the fourth inning and a hard-fought 3-1 victory against California.
These wins have been a grind more than a romp. And that is perfectly fine because grinders are exactly who these players are.
"We're gritty. We pitch and play defense. We don't believe in quitting," Needville manager Andy McRae said. "We're just going to keep going and going and going. It could be 10-0 and we're going to keep going. As long as there's an out left, we're going to keep going and that's the best thing I can say about them."
Needville has shown that fight all summer, but especially at the Series. Each game has offered and opportunity to buckle and every time, Needville has come fighting back.
"We're just a very good team," said Easton Benge, who has been untouchable on the mound and strong behind the plate. "We just play our game and just have fun."
Needville has done that all summer, losing just one game and none since the section tournament. Needville really started displaying its character at regionals, rallying from two down against Texas West before erasing a one-run deficit and holding off a late Louisiana comeback to become the league's first Series participant.
That fight has continued at the Series. Opponents have contained a dangerous offense, but Needville has played marvelous defense, received excellent pitching and played smart baseball, seemingly capitalizing on every opponents' mistake.
Put it all together and this team from a town of 3,018 has become one of the country's top two and the world's top four Little League teams.
"I'll put my money on these guys when it comes to the moment," McRae said. "They rise to the occasion and it's really cool."
Needville started showing that in its Series opener nine days ago against Pennsylvania. The team from Media, three hours from South Williamsport, drew a big crowd and it felt like all but the Needville section was pulling for it. It didn't matter because DJ Jablonski left runners on second and third with no outs in the second inning, Colten Georgi left the winning runs on in the sixth and Needville remained cool under fire in a 2-1 win.
"That's a good team. They were fundamentally sound. They made all the plays," Pennsylvania manager Tom Bradley said. "My hat's off to their coach and that team and their players. They played a great game."
Two nights later, Needville did not flinch when North Dakota tied the game and took control late. California twice had the tying runners on base with no outs and one out in the last two innings, but Jablonski, Easton Ondruch and a stellar defense ended both rallies in a 3-1 win.
And if ever there was a game which epitomized who this Needville team is, it came Wednesday against Washington. Benge and Ondruch combined for 14 strikeouts and combined on a four-hitter, while Ondruch made the Series best throw from center field in the fifth inning, throwing out a runner who would have scored the winning run in a game which went nine innings.
After Ondruch hit a ninth-inning sacrifice fly, he then stranded the winning runners on second and third with one out. Shortstop Dalyn Martin made a spectacular game to clinch the win, diving up the middle, wheeling and making a laser throw to record the final out.
Nothing came easy but Needville enjoyed the battle. That is Needville Baseball.
"We have a lot of grinders on this team," McRae said. "I have guys who will get after it and grind and take extra reps and extra swings in the cages."
And when Needville did taste defeat this summer, it responded by playing its best baseball. Hallettsville edged Needville, 4-3 in sections. It was a loss which was surprised Needville but which made it hungrier and it won the next three games, including sweeping the championship against Hallettsville with 19-0 and 1-0 wins.
Needville turned a negative into a positive. It kept grinding and has won 11 straight games entering Saturday's national championship.
"That loss loosened us up. We just focused on having fun and getting loose and working hard and whatever happens happens. Then we scored 19 runs the next night," McRae said. "That made us realize we have to be ready to come out and fight every game and it really helped us at the end of the day."
That fight continues Saturday when Needville tries becoming just the second Texas team to reach the world final since 2000. Win or lose, there is one guarantee.
Needville will keep on grinding.
"We know who we are. We're a good ball team and we're going to go out and play hard," McRae said. "No matter if someone says they're better than us or we're better than them, it all happens in the lines. We're going to play our game and play hard."