It was a spot Brendan Carroll didn't want to be in, especially with the Carbon County Babe Ruth League championship game on the line.

But the Jim Thorpe Royals' pitcher knew that it was bound to happen sooner or later.With his team in the midst of another close game with the same Franklin Township Pirates team that took them to extra innings during the regular season, Carroll needed to work his way out of a jam.Moments later, Carroll was able to secure a 2-1 complete-game victory over the Royals by retiring the Pirates' dangerous Daniel Keer, who had already had two hits in the game"I didn't want that situation to come up, but I knew it was going to … it's baseball," Carroll said. "I had a feeling that the big three hitter (Keer) was going to come up and I was going to have to face him again."But, it was good to know my defense could make the plays when I needed them the most. I knew they were behind me and I could count on them all the way."With the tying run, the Pirates' Justin Ahner, sitting on second and the potential go-ahead run, Jack Schaeffer, sitting on first, Carroll got Keer to ground into what turned out to be a fielder's choice to end the game. So after allowing singles to Keer in the first and fifth innings, Carroll left out a sigh of relief and joined his Royal teammates in getting their hands on what they have been trying for the last two years."It's pretty awesome because we made it to the semifinals the past two years," Carroll said. "To finally be able to seal the deal this year and win it all in my last year at this level is a great feeling."After being drenched in water by several of his players, Royals' coach Pat Joyce put credit were credit was due after Carroll showered compliments on his defense."The job that Brendan Carroll (six strike outs, one walk) did was incredible," said Joyce. "He kept us in it inning after inning. I kept asking him how he was feeling, and he would say, 'I'm good coach. Give me the ball.' And, I kept giving him the ball. His pitch count was okay and he pulled through for us."The Pirates only allowed the victors to collect a single hit an RBI single by Christian Fayocavitz in the fourth. Zach Searfoss followed with a sacrifice fly to account for the Royals' only runs of the game.Although the Royals managed just one hit, Franklin pitchers issued a total of 12 free passes, including walks to both Royal batters who scored in the fourth inning."It was a hard pill to swallow. It has been happening all season," said Franklin Township coach Frank Bokan "A lot of walks and setting up innings for the other teams. They get one timely hit and tha decides the outcome. We have been fighting it all season."It was the walks and they got the timely hit when they needed it the most. We didn't get the hit when we needed it. There were times when if we could have got the hit it might have broken it open for us."In addition to praising Carroll's pitching, Joyce was quick to mention the old adgae that "defense wins champioships.""Defense was good on both sides of this field," Joyce said. "That's what you would expect in a championship game. You usually have two teams that make it to the championship game that play good defense and that's what everyone saw here. "FT Pirates 100 000 0 - 1 6 1JT Royals 000 200 x - 2 1 2Herman, Keer (3) and Wagner; Carroll and A. Joyce. W - Carroll. L - Keer.