Florida began the game with a base hit against starting pitcher Kyle Carter and the runner made it as far as third base before Carter rebounded with three strikeouts. Carter led off the bottom of the first inning for the Georgia team but would never get the opportunity to swing the bat the entire evening. With the catcher setting up about two feet outside each pitch, Kyle ended the night with four walks. The decision didn’t work out perfectly for the Florida team as he accounted for two of the five Georgia runs. Cody Walker (1 for 3, single) singled in the inning and J.T. Phillips (0 for 2, BB) walked. Carter scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch. The inning ended with two runners stranded.
Florida picked up another hit in the second inning with a two-out double but once again, three strikeouts brought the inning to a close. Kyle Rovig (1 for 1, single, BB) led off with a single and Ryan Lang (1 for 2, single) followed with a single. Carter walked for the second time to load the bases but all three runners were left on base.
One more single and two more strikeouts resulted in a scoreless third inning for the Florida team. The concern now for the boys from Northern was the five batters left on base after two innings. The bottom of the third would be the exception as Patrick Stallings went opposite field to hit a 1-0 70-mph pitch over the right field fence, a solo homerun that made the score 2-0.
Florida began the fourth inning with another single but the runner went no further as the next three hitters were strikeout victims. Mason Meyers (1 for 1, single), playing in his first regional tournament game, led off the fourth with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Matthew Hollis. Carter again walked and Ryan Lang came in as a runner for Meyers. Both advanced one base on a wild pitch and both scored when Josh Lester (1 for 4, single, 2RBI) hit a 1-1 pitch to left field.
The fifth inning began with J.T. Phillips at shortstop making a running catch on a weak pop fly. The next two batters struck out to end the inning. Georgia scored one more in the fifth when Brady Hamilton (0 for 2, BB) walked and scored when the first baseman misplayed a ball off the bat of Matthew Hollis. The inning ended with three more Georgia runners stranded on base.
The sixth inning for Florida began with a groundout to second baseman Josh Lester who threw to Brady Hamilton at first for the out. The next batter became the 14th strikeout victim of Carter for the second out. He worked the next hitter to an 0-2 count but the hitter wasn’t going to go quietly. He fouled off 5 of the next 7 pitches before hitting a solid single that went to the base of the left center field fence. Kyle Rovig fielded the ball and threw a strike to shortstop J.T. Phillips covering second base who tagged the runner sliding into second. The game was over and the celebration for the Georgia champs from Columbus Northern began. Fans who had gathered at Buffalo Wild Wings and Carmike Cinemas went wild. The first Georgia team since 1983 and only the second Georgia team ever is headed for the Little League World Series in Williamsport.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | R | H | E | ||
| Florida | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | |
| Georgia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 5 | 6 | 0 | |
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1: Carter BB, scored on WP; Walker 1B 2: Rovig 1B, Lang 1B 3: Stallings solo HR 4: Meyers 1B, scored; Hollis SAC; Carter BB, scored; Lester 2-run single 5: Hamilton BB, scored; Rovig BB; Hollis E3, Hamilton scored Pitching: Carter 6IP 14K | ||||||||||
