SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Clutch hits and timely defense -- the Little Leaguers from Columbus, Ga., sure are well-schooled in some of the fundamentals of baseball.

AP Photo

Beaverton, Ore. Sam Albert looks to umpire Lyn Bourgeois for the call after scoring the go ahead run against Lemont, Ill. in the Little League World Series United States Semifinals baseball action.

Brady Hamilton drove in two runs, J.T. Phillips struck out eight and Josh Lester made a nice grab of a line drive to thwart a rally, helping Columbus defeat Beaverton, Ore., 7-3 on Saturday to win the U.S. title and advance to the championship game of the Little League World Series.

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Hamilton broke a 3-3 tie by driving a pitch from starter Jace Fry into left to score Phillips from second in the fifth inning. Columbus got some breathing room with three runs in the sixth, including another clutch hit by Lester.

Cody Walker tracked a popup in foul territory and stumbled to the ground on his back just after catching it for the final out. Jubilant teammates started piling on top of him as parents cheered and snapped pictures.

After receiving their championship banner, the Columbus boys raced to the Beaverton dugout and invited their opponents to accompany them on the honorary victory lap around Lamade Stadium.

But only Columbus gets to play in the title game Sunday, against the winner of Saturday night's international title contest between Kawaguchi City Japan and Matamoros, Mexico.

The Columbus Northern league team looked like it'd be an easy winner at first against Beaverton's Murrayhill league team. The Georgia fans chanted, "Here we go Southwest, here we go!" as their team returned to the dugout after a three-run first inning.

Momentum changed in the fourth.

Beaverton's Austin Perry had an RBI single to cut the lead to 3-1.

Then with two outs and Perry on second, Trevor Nix hit a high fly that carried. The 13-year-old pumped his fist after watching the ball land over the fence for a two-run homer that tied the game.

Beaverton's fortunes changed quickly when Columbus returned to the plate in the fifth and Hamilton drove in the go-ahead run.

Columbus put the game away in the sixth.

With a runner on third with one out, Fry intentionally walked slugger Kyle Carter to get to Lester. Carter had hit 52 homers coming into the tournament, and fearful teams have often given him a free pass, even with no one on base.

Lester drove in five runs his last game after intentional walks, and he came through again Saturday, lining a single to center that sparked the three-run sixth to give Columbus a 7-3 lead.

Lester, playing shortstop, also made a nice stab of a liner by Beaverton's Sam Albert to help douse a scoring threat in the first inning. With runners at first and second, Albert hit a shot up the middle. But Lester quickly took a couple of steps to his left, made the catch and fell to one knee.