LANSING | The style of baseball may be known as small ball, but when executed properly, it can net some pretty big results.

Lansing's Babe Ruth team for 15-year-olds turned walks and stolen bases into key runs on its way to the Northern Illinois Babe Ruth state title, beating Downers Grove 12-2 Sunday at Old Timers Sports Complex.

It was the second Northern Illinois state title in three years for the bulk of the players on the team.

"We won this for the town," said Lansing's Sergio Cabrera, who pitched a complete game and drove home the game-ending runs Sunday.

"I wasn't on the team two years ago, so I've never been on a state championship team before. It is awesome."

Lansing won each of its three games at the state tournament in convincing fashion, outscoring its opponents 37-6 en route to the title. Lansing advances to the Ohio Valley Regional tournament and will face host Clarksburg in West Virginia at 7 p.m. Friday.

"We went to the regional tournament as 13-year-olds feeling pretty good about our chances and got our butts kicked," Lansing manager Bob Padjen said of the 2008 team.

"So hopefully the kids remember that the caliber of play is much tougher when you get to the regional tournament."

Padjen was pleased with his team's small ball play Sunday. Lansing scored 12 runs on only nine hits, swiped five bases and managed to score four times from third on either passed balls or wild pitches.

Cabrera and shortstop Kyle Janowski were named Lansing's most valuable players Sunday. Janowski had two doubles, three RBIs and played a strong game at shortstop.

"We just wanted to come out and have fun and play good enough to win," Janowski said. "And we did it."