Goodlettsville Beats Oregon 3-2 In Little League World Series Late-Inning Thriller

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, PA — The latest crop of Little League heroes from Goodlettsville are looking more and more like their 2012 forebears.

That 2012 team, the first team from Tennessee to qualify for the Little League World Series in more than 40 years, won the U.S. side of the bracket with what seemed like an endless supply of late-inning heroics.

If the opening game of the 2016 Little League World Series is any indication, the 2016 Goodlettsville team has the same kind of magic.

Northwest Regional champs Bend North (Ore.) had Goodlettsville as far back on their heels as possible, down to the game's final out and trailing by one. But Goodlettsville had the bases loaded and on Thursday night, Goodlettsville had the magic in the bat of Robert Carroll, the team's most diminutive player who nevertheless drove a ball to right field, scoring brothers Tanner and Tyler Jones and giving Goodlettsville a 3-2 victory at Lamade Stadium.

Carroll's heroics got a win for pitcher Zach McWilliams who struck out nine and walked just one across six innings. Bend North's two runs came in the top of the third on a two-out, two-RBI triple that scored runners McWilliams had walked and hit.

The triple was one of only two hits surrendered by McWilliams.

Tanner Jones halved the Bend lead in the bottom of the third with a solo home run. He finished the night 2-for-3.

Goodlettsville will play Maine-Endwell (N.Y.) at 2 p.m. Central Sunday with the broadcast on ESPN.