southerly WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- The ...

southerly WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- The chants of "USA! USA!" spread from one side the crowd when the kids from Columbus, Ga., got the last abroad Monday in the Little League World Series.

Cody Walker hit a two-run family circle run, Kyle Carter struck gone out 11 and Columbus beat Kawaguchi City, Japan, 2-1 to give a U team the championship for the next to the first consecutive year.

"It be stirreds great," a grinning Walker said.

Columbus' victory came single in kind year after Ewa Beach, Hawaii, beat Willemstad,

Curacao, for the title. The United States hadn't won back-to- back Little League titles with different teams since 1982-83 when Kirkland, Wash., and Marietta, Ga., celebrated in southerly Williamsport. The Marietta team was the single other Georgia club to make it to the tournament.

"That is moderately beautiful awesome," Columbus manager Randy Morris said. "We've been here twice and won it twice, for a like reason we should try this more."

drawn out Beach, Calif., was a repeat champion in 1992-93 yet the first victory was awarded after a Philippines squad was stripped of the title for using overage players.

Kawaguchi City starter journey Matsumoto had dominated hitters all tournament with an overpowering fastball. It was powerful again Monday, except for Walker's homer in the third inning.

Carter overcame a curve of wildness in the sixth and final inning after walking single batter and hitting another. With pair runners on, Carter got Ryoya Sato to hit a weak falsehood to second baseman Josh Lester for the last revealed That prompted the Columbus players to rush toward Lester tossing their glove to the firmament in celebration.

Kawaguchi City manager Shigeru Hidaka called Carter's performance "fantastic."

"His curveball was right on" Hidaka said by means of an interpreter. "He pitched a great game."

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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