Three times in the past four years, New Albany Little League's all-star team has navigated its way to the state championship game in the major baseball division, so it wasn't surprising to see the District 5 juggernaut take the field as the 2007 title game commenced.

Wabash Little League is no stranger to success in its own right, reaching the state's final four seven consecutive times during the 1980s, and advancing to the region championship game on three occasions during that span. In the league's first venture to within sight of Williamsport, pitcher Randy Keaffaber held Chicago's Jackie Robinson West Little League to one run through eight innings, but the Illinois team broke through in the ninth to earn the trip to the Little League World Series.

Wabash came full circle with their return to the state championship game in 2007 -- Keaffaber was again in the dugout, this time helping to pilot the league's all-star team during its deepest advance in the international tournament since the league's heyday in the eighties, and the tournament came full circle in another way, as well. West Lafayette Little League last hosted the state tournament in 1979, when a league from the banks of the Ohio River faced a league from the state's Northeastern quadrant in the championship game. The teams met at F.O.P. Park, where Franklin Little League from Anderson scored a pair of runs in the eighth inning to subdue Jeffersonville's George Rogers Clark Little League, 7-5, and claim the championship.

West Lafayette still plays its games at the same diamond, though the field no longer carried its original name when eight teams descended on the city for the 2007 Indiana state tournament. But when an Ohio River Valley league and a team from Northeastern Indiana reached the championship game, it seemed fitting that the teams battled into the eighth inning before the victor emerged.

And after its recent string of oh-so-close finishes, New Albany Little League rewrote the ending.

New Albany escaped a bases loaded threat in the top of the eighth inning, then used Jon Davis' run-scoring hit in the bottom of the frame to edge Wabash, 2-1, and win the Indiana state tournament.

"We got it done," said New Albany manager John Worrall after the game. "It sure wasn't easy."

Many of the players on both teams had been part of their leagues' 11-year-old all-star teams in 2006, when Wabash eliminated New Albany in the semifinal round of the state tournament. This time, New Albany needed to rally twice before subduing the District 9 champions. Andy Roser's long home run over the left field fence in the top of the seventh gave Wabash the game's first run, but Logan Striegel singled to open the bottom of the inning for New Albany, and after advancing on a wild pitch and a groundout, scored on Josh Rogers' line single to left field.

In the bottom of the eighth, Seth Combs led off with a single, and special pinch runner Trevor Brown moved to second on a groundout before Davis drove a two-strike pitch to right-center field for a game-ending double.

The game was the fourth-longest championship game in Indiana state tournament history, and the longest since Brownsburg Little League defeated South Bend East Side Little League, 5-3 in nine innings, in 2000.

Both starting pitchers turned in stellar efforts. Roser, the Wabash starter, had such command that he struck out sixteen batters and threw seven innings -- unusually high tallies with the 85-pitch limit implemented for the 2007 international tournament. Roser allowed only a fourth inning infield single before the two hits in the seventh.

"Andy is nothing short of a beast," said Wabash manager Joe Ross. "He went out there and gave it 100% every time he stepped on the mound ... He didn't leave anything out there tonight. He is a super kid."

Garrett Sherrell, New Albany's starter, matched Roser's effort, allowing only one hit -- a bunt single -- before reaching his pitch count limit and changing positions after 5-2/3 innings of work. Reliever Nate Stemle allowed only Roser's home run over 2-1/3 innings pitched to earn the win.

"Our pitching gave us a chance in every game," said Worrall, whose team used five pitchers during its stay at West Lafayette. "All our guys threw the ball real well."

Each starting pitcher allowed just one runner to reach scoring position through four innings, and then escaped threats in the late innings. Wabash's Landon Cole reached on a throwing error with two outs in the fifth inning, and advanced to third before Sherrell induced an inning-ending groundout. In the sixth, Wabash's Tyler Brewer drew a two-out walk, then rounded first and stole second base. Shea Beauchamp followed with a low, sinking liner into right field, but a diving grab by New Albany outfielder Seth Combs ended the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, Rogers' RBI single put the potential winning run on base, but Roser registered his final two strikeouts of the evening to extend the game.

"This was one of the best played state tournament games in years and years," said Ross.

"We told the kids that they played a heck of a game," added the Wabash manager, "and that there was no way that you could hang your head after this."

Both teams reached the title game with shutout victories in the semifinal round. Rogers struck out twelve and scattered four hits in New Albany's 2-0 victory over Jasper Little League, and Ryan Keaffaber carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning of Wabash's 2-0 decision over Middlebury Little League.

"Josh was great," said John Worrall after Rogers' complete game effort. "He worked ahead of batters and did everything that we needed him to do to be in a position to win."

That effort included chipping in offensively, where he drove in the game's initial run in the first inning.

In the nightcap, Ryan Keaffaber allowed just two baserunners: one on a fielding error in the first inning, and another on a ground rule double with two outs in the sixth.

"Ryan Keaffaber was fantastic," said Ross. "He was a couple of bounces away from a perfect game."

Wabash's offense came via a pair of fourth inning home runs. Roser launched a mammoth blast on a 1-2 pitch that cleared a tree beyond the center field fence, and Cole later added a screaming liner that gained little altitude before clearing the center field fence.

"One of the groundskeepers here told me that (Roser's blast) was the farthest hit home run he's seen at this field in years," said Ross. "That was a major league-type monster shot."

New Albany won all five of its games at the state tournament, including an earlier pool competition win over Wabash. The District 5 winners -- New Albany also won that tournament in walk-off fashion, courtesy of Zach Worrall's tournament-ending home run in a 3-1 victory over Jeffersonville's George Rogers Clark Little League -- got home runs from Zach Worrall and Sherrell in a 11-2 win over Pendleton Little League in their pool opener. New Albany broke the game open with a five-run second inning rally, and shuttled in four different pitchers to minimize pitch counts with an eye toward later tournament games.

The next day, Sherrell pitched into the fifth inning as New Albany topped Wabash, 4-2, in a championship game preview. Rogers and Davis homered for New Albany, while Logan Striegel chipped in three hits, including a double. Keaffaber's two-run double in the fifth halved a 4-0 New Albany lead, before Rogers closed out the win to earn the save.

"We've put ourselves in a pretty good position, we feel," said John Worrall, whose team had not yet clinched a semifinal round berth despite the 2-0 record. "But we've got to come out and play another good game (in the final pool contest)."

New Albany clinched the pool title prior to taking the field, thanks to Wabash's win over Pendleton earlier in the day, then shut out McCutcheon Youth Baseball Little League, 4-0. Striegel's three-run homer in the bottom of the second provided the bulk of New Albany's offense, and pitcher Nate Stemle turned in 4-2/3 shutout innings to key the win.

Wabash used small ball -- and a two-run homer from Ryan Keaffaber in the fourth inning -- to dispatch McCutcheon in their tourney debut, before dropping the contest to New Albany. While several scenarios would lift the District 9 winners into the semifinal round, Ross saw one simple path to the tournament's second phase.

"We have to come out tomorrow and beat Pendleton straight up," said the Wabash manager. "There are some other scenarios that would get us into the semifinals, but we can't wait around and see if those things happen."

Wabash rose to the occasion, rallying late for a 9-5 victory. The game was tied 4-4 through five innings before Wabash made its final push after the first two batters were retired in the top of the sixth. Ryan Keaffaber kept the inning alive with a walk, then Pendleton intentionally walked Shea Beauchamp and Roser before electing to pitch to Joseph Ross.

"We preach to our players that if the opposing team intentionally walks someone to get to you, you make them pay," said Joe Ross.

Joseph Ross heeded the instructions, driving a grand slam over the left center field fence to pull Wabash into the lead, and in essence, into the semifinal round. Jordan Floor followed with a towering home run to right field to cap the inning.

New Albany advanced to the Great Lakes Region tournament with the league's first-ever state championship. The Indiana champions split their four pool games, then edged Western Springs (Illinois) Little League, 5-4, in the semifinal round. New Albany's season ended with a 6-1 loss to Hamilton (Ohio) West Side Little League in the region championship game.