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As the pressure intensified and the Seattle, Washington crowd roared, Brody Brooks delivered his manager a powerful message.
"I said to Danny (Boehle), ‘Give me the ball, I want to pitch.’"
Brooks wanted the moment and then he owned that moment. Twice, actually.
Brooks retired the side in order after the go-ahead runners reached in the fifth inning before leaving the bases loaded in the sixth as El Segundo, California fought off Seattle and won a 2-1 thriller, Thursday at Lamade Stadium. Declan McRoberts threw four strong innings for the win, Brooks earned the save and Finley Green hit a key RBI single as California earned a spot in Saturday’s U.S. Championship against Needville, Texas.
Those teams will battle Saturday at 3:30 p.m with the winner facing either Curacao or Chinese Taepei for the world title Sunday. All four teams will play both Saturday and Sunday with a consolation game also being held Sunday.
Washington made sure California could never breathe easy until the game’s final out was recorded. McRoberts hit a two-out RBI infield single in the first inning and Green an RBI single an inning later as California went up, 2-0.
Trey Kirchoff, however, settled in from there and started stifling a potent offense. Nolan Chang and Kirchoff ignited a fifth-inning rally with Chang hitting a double and Kirchoff an RBI single.
Boehle changed pitchers an inning later following a Matthew Fischer walk and Brett Taylor single. Brooks assured him he was the man for the job. Then he proved it.
Brooks retired the side in order to close the fifth, starting by fielding a bunt and making a snap throw to third. He induced consecutive grounders to end the threat, but his back was against the wall again in the sixth when Sam Santos was hit by a pitch and Chang walked.
Instead of buckling, Brooks went back to work and struck out the next batter on three pitches. It looked like he clinched the win when he did it again a batter later, but the ball landed in the dirt and Owen Luke hustled to first base while loading the bases.
Facing the team’s hottest hitter, Larson Eng, Brooks stayed cool and induced a grounder toward shortstop Louis Lappe. Lappe bobbled the ball but made a quick recovery before flipping to second baseman Colby Lee for the final out.
Finally, California could breathe easy.
"I felt like everybody was stressing a little too much," Baker said. "I had confidence in my defense that they were going to make a play."
California has won three straight games since dropping a 3-1 contest last Monday against Texas and has earned a rematch. It wasn’t easy, but a team which showcased its power in its last three victories highlighted its toughness against Washington.
"I have all the faith in the world in these boys. We worked hard to get here, and we work hard every day," Boehle said. "A win is a win, and you learn from stuff like that."
Seattle learned just how good its team was all summer long. Washington only reinforced that at the Series, winning its first two games before dropping consecutive one-run heartbreakers against the U.S. Finalists.
In both games, Washington fought hard and had the winning runs in scoring position. Both times the opponent made good plays to seal victory. The loss stings but Washington made a big statement and proved it can compete against any team in the country.
"We are a scrappy, really good, fun bunch of kids who love each other and play hard and play baseball the right way," Washington manager Christian Shewey said. "I think that’s shone through the whole tournament."
It did once again Thursday night. Kirchoff has dominated all summer and kept coming at California despite the West champions starting strong. Even more impressive, a pitcher who relied on his curveball to overwhelm opponents throughout much of this run, switched plans and attacked California with heat, often successfully slowing them with well-place inside pitches.
Kirchoff did not allow a run after the second inning and retired the last six batters he faced. That gave Washington a shot at making its comeback, one which Chang fueled when he hit a one-out, fourth inning double and scored on Kirchoff’s RBI single.
California finally squashed the repeated threats, but this team gave Seattle one last thrill. This was the first Seattle team to ever reach the Series and it captivated the city. For the last few weeks, they were as much the talk of the town as the Mariners and Seahawks. And that says a lot about its impact.
"We take an immense amount of pride in being the first team ever with Seattle in its name to win a regional and be here in Williamsport. We really felt like we had the city on our back and tons of support. We really feel like the city came alive for Little League Baseball in Seattle," Shewey said. "When we get home, it’s going to be even better knowing just how many people were watching. Not that I’m surprised either. I knew we were good. I don’t hold our kids short on anything."
California’s top of the order had helped spark its two previous wins but it was the lower part which played a key role against Washington. Both Quinn Boehle and Green delivered their first Series hits, and both were crucial ones in how the game played out.
Boehle hit a lead-off, second-inning single before taking second on a wild pitch. Green then fouled off multiple two-strike pitches before lacing his RBI single into center field and putting California ahead, 2-0.
"I was very relieved after that. It was a lot of weight off my shoulders after a long time spent in the cages fixing my swing," Green said. "I feel a lot more confident after that."
McRoberts’ confidence was high as well. The right-hander put California up 1-0 in the first inning, then settled in on the mound and dazzled on the mound over the first three innings, allowing just one hit and throwing 37 pitches.
McRoberts struck out four in the first three innings and his quality start allowed Brooks to come in later in the game while remaining eligible to throw in Saturday’s championship.
"I felt good. I felt like I was hitting my spots really well. I think I just trusted my defense and threw a lot of strikes," McRoberts said. "I felt excited, and I had a lot of adrenaline going through me. I felt excited and overjoyed that I was here."
California is experiencing a lot of joy these days. It hopes more is coming Saturday, but California also understands how remarkable this journey has been.
"I still feel like there’s more to be done but we’ve all accomplished a lot and are excited that we even got this far," Brooks said. "Getting through all those tough teams in California was a relief for us that we could have this experience and be able to be here."