The Phenix City National Little League all-star team mastered the art of coming from behind to claim victory at the South Region tournament. Somewhere along the way, the Alabama state champions learned how to snuff an opponent's rally as well -- and the ability to slam the door on Kernersville, North Carolina helped Phenix City National hold on for a 3-2 victory in the Southern Region championship game at Arnold S. White Sr. Stadium in St. Petersburg, FL.

The championship game came down to one batter. Phenix City watched Kernersville whittle a 3-0 deficit to a single run on Ryan Caldwell's two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth, and the North Carolina club continued the rally by loading the bases with two outs. Relief pitcher Bryan Woodall then induced a ground ball to Colby Rasmus, who had just moved to first base after 5+ masterful innings on the mound. The left hander handled the easy roller unassisted, and Phenix City became the first Alabama team to advance to the Little League World Series since Mobile's Cottage Hill LL made the trip in 1990.

Colby Rasmus was nearly unhittable for most of the night. Essentially playing catch with his brother Cory, the tall lefthander used a sharp breaking curveball to retire 13 of 14 batters from the first inning through the fifth, including eleven strikeout victims. Colby Rasmus struck out a Southern Region championship game record 13 batters on the evening, and took a one-hitter and a 3-0 lead into the final inning.

Caldwell was also sharp early on the mound for Kernersville, allowing only one hit through three innings, but Phenix City broke through in the fourth. Brandon Monk's leadoff home run and a later two-run blow by Bryan Woodall chased Caldwell and gave the Alabama club the 3-0 lead that it took into the sixth inning.

Phenix City had rallied twice from large deficits to gain the region title game. After opening with Colby Rasmus' two hit shutout of the Atlanta Northside Youth Organization, Phenix City found themselves trailing Tennessee's Donelson American LL 5-0 through three innings. Woodall drilled a homer in the fourth that helped Phenix City slice the deficit to 5-3, and Colby Rasmus clubbed a dramatic three-run homer in the top of the sixth to propel the Alabama team to the 6-5 victory.

One game later, Phenix City faced a similar situation -- the Alabama club started slowly and trailed Northwood American (Taylors, SC) 4-0 early in the game. Colby Rasmus' three-run homer in the third tied the score, and solo homers in the fifth by Cory Rasmus and Zack Martin lifted Phenix City to a 6-4 win and clinched a title game berth. Martin allowed only three hits over 5-1/3 innings, and Colby Rasmus struck out the only two hitters he faced in the sixth to earn the save.

Kernersville emerged from the Section 2 side of the draw to gain the championship game. The Carolina team edged South Lake Charles American (LA) 2-1 in their opening contest, then took two of three contests from Barboursville (WV) to win the section. In the first meeting with Barboursville, pitcher Andrew Flynt was sublime. Flynt needed only 54 pitches to complete a two-hit shutout of Barboursville in Kernersville's 2-0 win. Flynt struck out only two batters, but did not allow a West Virginia runner past first base as his teammates played errorless defense behind him. Kernersville scored the game's only runs in the third inning. Consecutive singles by Kyle Leasure, Kyle Moore, and Caldwell loaded the bases before Tony Morini's groundout and Ted Randolph's single drove home the game's only runs.

Barboursville then overcame an early 3-0 deficit to defeat Richmond Tuckahoe National (VA) 6-3 and earn a rematch with Kernersville. Nathan Nibert held the Kernersville offense to two hits, and Barboursville used a three run rallies in the third and fifth to defeat the North Carolina champions 6-2 and force a third meeting.

Flynt got the call for Kernersville in the 'if' game, and was up to the test. Pitching on two days rest, Flynt pitched out of trouble throughout the game, and kick-started the Carolina offense with a two-run homer in the second inning. Kernersville added an unearned run in the fourth, and then held off a late Barboursville charge to hang on for a 3-2 win. Barboursville was unable to capitalize on numerous opportunities -- the West Virginians left the bases loaded in the first inning, and stranded two runners in the third, fifth, and sixth innings.

Phenix City's comeback victories did not end in St. Petersburg. At the Little League World Series, the Southern Region champions opened with a 6-0 loss to defending Little League World Series champion Toms River East American (NJ), and had one foot planted firmly in the grave while trailing Brownsburg (IN) 4-0 through 5-1/2 innings on the second day of pool competition. Like the mythical bird that bears their city's name, Phenix City rose from the ashes to stun Brownsburg 5-4 on Kyle Tidwell's game-ending grand slam home run. Two days later in the United States championship game, Phenix City trailed Toms River and ace pitcher Casey Gaynor 2-0 after one inning. Rain suspended the game until the following day, when Phenix City pieced together five consecutive hits in a three run rally and held on to upset Toms River 3-2 to claim Alabama's first U.S. championship. Phenix City then fell 5-0 to the Hirakata LL of Osaka, Japan in the Little League World Series championship game.

Section 1 Championship Game	1	2	3	4	5	6		R	H	E
Taylors Northwood American	0	0	4	0	0	0		4	3	0
Phenix City National	0	0	4	0	2	x		6	6	0
Section 2 Championship Game
Kernersville	0	2	0	1	0	0		3	4	-
Barboursville	0	0	0	0	2	0		2	-	3
South Region Championship Game
Phenix City National	0	0	0	3	0	0		3	5	0
Kernersville	0	0	0	0	0	2		2	3	1

Toward the past

Toward the present