 |
| Image courtesy of Little League Baseball® |
“The Chicago Cubs organization is pleased to join with your family and friends in congratulating you on a great baseball season and winning the Illinois Championship,” the letter stated. “Now you are on to the Great Lakes Championship and we want you to know that we are behind you 100%.”
The road to the Great Lakes Region Tournament was no easy task for Streator LL, however, as the team had to rally back from an early five-run deficit in the championship game against LaGrange Little League.
Down 6-1 in the third inning, Streator LL was able to rally together for five runs thanks to a trio of RBI singles by Adam Brown, Caleb Osborn and Mitch Vickers to knot the game up at 6-6.
Following a strong performance by starting pitcher Chandler Hillebrenner, Streator LL manager, John Brown, turned to his bench to bring in Joey Byers. After putting up a scoreless inning on the mound in the top of the fourth, Byers would be the one to put Streator LL in the lead in the bottom of the frame as he scored the go-ahead run thanks to a double down the right-field line by Cherokee LeBeau and a wild pitch. With the help of single through the left side by Dakota Limberg, Streator LL was then able to take an 8-6 advantage into the fifth.
While LaGrange LL was able to plate an unearned run in the top of the fifth, Byers was able to hold off the lineup the rest of the way to help Streator seal an 8-7 victory and take the final spot in the Great Lakes Region Tournament.
The Great Lakes Region Tournament will take place at The Reuben F. Glick Little League Baseball Center in Indianapolis, Ind., on August 7-13.
