SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Now that was more like it.
Peabody West's bats woke up with a roar in its final game at the Little League World Series. The New England champions took home a 12-3 decision over Great Lakes champ Russellville, Ky., yesterday at Lamade Stadium.
"It's nice to win," said manager David Batchelor, whose history-making squad finished 1-2 at the Little League World Series but 18-2 in all-star competition this summer.
"We finally hit the ball, and it's nice to go home with a win. The ride home will be better — and maybe the next month will feel a lot better."
After falling behind early, a nine-run third inning did more than enough damage to make sure they could head home with a victory and their heads held high.
The decisive frame featured 13 batters, seven hits and saw six different Peabody West batters credited with RBIs.
"Today we were a lot less nervous. This game was important, but maybe not as important as the other ones. So we were more relaxed," said Matt Hosman, who scored twice and drove in two during the rally.
"Anytime you play at one of these stadiums is great. To have your last (Little League) at-bat here, not many kids can say that. It's like a Major League stadium."
With the game tied 1-1, Kentucky manager Kevin Gettings went to Barrett Croslin to start the frame. Hosman reached on an error and Austin Batchelor (3 for 3, 3 runs scored, homer, 2 RBI) walked before Traverse Briana (2 for 3, two runs scored) beat out a bunt single to load the bases.
Matt Gonick followed with a two-run single and consecutive hits by Nick Bona (RBI), Sean McGrath (RBI), Matt "The Rat" Correale, Hosman (2 RBI), Batchelor (RBI) and Briana (RBI) ballooned the score to 10-1 in Peabody West's favor.
"I just think we weren't as nervous as the two games before. We were just having fun this time — and we knew we could hit their pitching," said Austin Batchelor, who was also the winning pitcher and hit a tape measure homer in the fifth that went at least 270 feet.
The younger Batchelor got off to a tough start as Russellville manufactured an unearned run in the first. Leadoff man Crosslin reached on an error, then got caught in a rundown trying to score on Matt Harper's hit. Harper, however, scored the game's first run on an Ian Woodall base hit.
"We were behind, but we figured that we had six more at-bats. We were going to score runs," said Austin Batchelor, who got out of trouble in the second when J.J. Layton stabbed a line drive to third to end a bases-loaded threat.
Layton then doubled with two out in the next frame. Russellville's third baseman threw Cody Wlasuk's grounder over his first baseman's head and Layton came home with the tying run, which stood up after a brief umpire's conference.
"They thought that maybe the ball hit Cody's foot (and therefore would have been a foul ball), but it didn't," said David Batchelor.
That momentum was all Austin Batchelor needed as he finished with five innings pitched, five hits allowed and seven strikeouts. He was charged with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth while walking two and hitting a pair of batters.
After Gonick gave Peabody West its first lead of the LLWS and ignited the huge third inning, the New England champs added a pair of runs in the fifth. The first was Batchelor's no-doubt blast to left center. Anthony Cravotta then knocked home Briana (who had walked) to make it 12-3.
"I just wanted to make sure that my last Little League at-bat was a hit," said Cravotta.
With Batchelor's pitch count at 74 and the youngster starting to tire, his father called on reliever Michael Petrosino to slam the door in the sixth. Though he allowed a hit and a walk, Petrosino struck out the side and closed out Peabody West's trip to Williamsport with a victory.
"Wow," beamed manager Batchelor. "We've been together for two months now and we've had so many ups, so many highs along the way. We have no complaints — we finished out careers at the World Series and we won the game."
