WHITESTOWN, Ind. — For the first time in 10 years, an Indiana team will play in the Little League World Series.
Graham Vinson's two-out single in the seventh inning scored Jaykob Troutwine with the winning run to give Hagerstown a 4-3 win over North Laurel Little League from London, Kentucky Thursday in Whitestown.
The team from Hagerstown is the first Indiana team to reach the Little League World Series since New Castle won the Great Lakes Region title in 2012.
Hagerstown started quickly, jumping to a 2-0 lead on Kaden Hall's two-run homerun in the bottom of the first inning. They added another run in the third, when Vinson came home on an error by Kentucky second baseman Nathan Miller.
The North Laurel team tied things in the fifth inning. After a pair of two-out walks, Kip Allen drove in two runs with a double, then scored on a single by Cooper Parman to tie the game at 3-3.
Vinson, who came in to pitch in the fifth, hit Allen with a pitch to open the seventh inning, then struck out Parman for the first out. After a single by Matthew Powenski put two runners on, Vinson struck out Ethan Anderson for the second out of the inning. After Troutwine dropped a line drive that would have been the third out of the seventh, but instead loaded the bases for Kentucky, Vinson struck out Jaxon Asher to end the threat.
Troutwine got redemption in the bottom half of the seventh. After swinging through three straight pitches, he sprinted to first after the third strike skipped to the backstop to put the winning run on base. He moved to second on a wild pitch, then advanced to third on a groundout by Hall.
That set the stage for Vinson, who lined a 1-1 pitch to the fence in left field, easily scoring Troutwine and sending Hagerstown to Williamsport.
Vinson struck out six of the seven batters he faced in relief to get the win. Starter Heath Johnson struck out nine Kentucky hitters in 4 2/3 innings.
Hagerstown will open the Little League World Series against a team from Davenport, Iowa on Thursday, Aug. 18 at 3 p.m. will air live on ESPN.
The Little League World Series wraps up with the championship game pitting the United States champion against the international champion on Sunday, Aug. 28.
Fundraiser for families
The team wasted no time heading to Pennsylvania.
According to Hagerstown Little League, the players and coaches hit the road for Williamsport after Thursday's victory in Whitestown.
While their trip is covered by the governing body of Little League, their parents and other family members have to pay their own way. Hagerstown Little League posted Friday that a fundraiser has been set up to help defray some of the costs so parents can travel to Pennsylvania to see their boys play in the World Series.
Donations can be made via Venmo, at any Three Rivers Credit Union location, or at The Logo Shoppe in Hagerstown, which is accepting in-person donations, as well as checks via mail.