Staff photo / Dan Hiner. The Canfield 12U baseball team celebrates as Lawson Dripps (4) jumps on home plate after hitting a solo home run during Saturday’s Little League 12U District 2 baseball championship at Fields of Dreams in Boardman.

BOARDMAN — After waiting an extra day, Saturday’s 12U Little League baseball District 2 championship came down to the last out.

Boardman didn’t go down without a fight, but Canfield held on to win 5-4 at Fields of Dreams in Boardman.

“This is baseball. It’s not always going to be perfect, but we have a great team and they stick up for each other,” Canfield head coach Mark Kellerman said. “They kept fighting through. We had some mistakes, but our bats kept us in this and we kept pushing forward.”

When play resumed in the bottom of the third inning, Canfield was ahead 3-0.

Canfield loaded the bases with two outs, and Jason Vodhonel added a run when his popup was dropped on the infield.

Dalton Tiger got things started for Boardman in the top of the fourth with a double to the right-center gap, and he advanced to third on an error. Then Rocco Rosati drove him in on a fielder’s choice as the infielder elected to throw home instead of first base for the potential groundout.

Canfield got that run back in the bottom of the fourth, making it a 5-1 game, when Lawson Dripps pulled a leadoff home run over the fence in left field.

At the time, it looked like there was some breathing room for Canfield pitcher Cam Brown to work with.

“It’s intense up (on the mound), because you don’t know what’s going to happen at any given moment,” Brown said. “You just have to keep throwing strikes and keep your composure.”

And Brown needed that mindset, because Boardman made one last push in the top of the sixth.

After Michael Cole reached on a bloop single, Kyler Diaz pulled a two-run homer over the left-center fence to cut the deficit to 5-3. Then Jazee Banna nearly missed a home run to left, but it banged off the fence for a single.

Tiger reached on a fielder’s choice groundout to shortstop, but Rosati and Vinny Skovira both singled to put the tying run in scoring position with the bases loaded.

Tiger scored on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 5-4, but Canfield pitcher Cam Brown got the groundout he needed to end the game.

“They never give up and they care about each other,” Boardman head coach Anthony Rosati said of his players. “They play till the last out. That’s all we can ask for. Every time we play (Canfield), it’s a battle. And today’s no exception.”

Canfield will play in the state baseball tournament, which starts July 18 at Fields of Dreams.

“It feels great, and I feel this is where these boys should be,” Kellerman said. “This is what they wanted to do, and we were 11-year-old state champions last year. They got a big chip on their shoulders, and they’re gonna keep pushing, fighting their way and battle till the end. That’s what they want to do and that’s what they’re ready for.”