Team Mexico entered the tenth annual Cal Ripken World Series Championship Game for the seventh consecutive year, trying to win their fourth Championship trophy.  For the second consecutive year, a team from Florida defeated Mexico.

The Forest Hills All-Stars of Tampa, Fla. -- the tournament’s Southeast representative -- defeated Mexico 7 – 6 in front of a crowd of over 5,000 people in Cal Sr.’s Yard at the Ripken Academy Baseball Complex in Aberdeen, Md.  The game was broadcasted live on MLB Network during their “Youth Baseball Month” initiative.

Forest Hills took an early 3–0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Jason Heinrich hit a three run home run to center field.  Mexico’s Hector Chapa hit a single up the middle in the top of the second inning, scoring two runs and bringing the score to 3–2.

In the bottom of the third inning, Forest Hills added to their lead when Kyle Tucker grounded out to the second baseman, scoring Darren Gooden from third base and making the score 4–2.  Mexico battled back in the top of the fourth when Eduardo Gonzalez hit an RBI double to center field. 

Forest Hills rallied in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 7 – 3 lead.  Darren Miller and Jason Heinrich led off the inning with a pair of singles.  After advancing to third on a fielding error, Miller scored on a Kyle Tucker single to right field.  Jonathan Diaz then hit a double to left scoring Tucker and Brendon Wamsley.

Mexico had a late surge in the top of the sixth inning when Eduardo Gonzalez hit a two run home run with nobody out.  Hector Chapa followed with a solo shot to right field to make the score 7 – 6.  Jonathan Diaz then replaced pitcher Darren Miller for Forest Hills and recorded the save by getting Alan Maldonado to fly out to center field for the third out, ending the game and capturing the 2009 Cal Ripken World Series title. 

Forest Hills’ starting pitcher Jason Heinrich was the winning pitcher throwing 3 1/3 innings.  Heinrich faced 13 batters, gave up four runs on four hits and struck out four batters.  Heinrich also had an outstanding day offensively going three-for-three at the plate with three RBIs and scoring once.  

192 youth baseball players from around the world participated in the 2009 Cal Ripken World Series which is comprised of 16 teams.  International teams included Japan, Australia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, the Republic of Korea and Canada.  The remaining teams included 10 United States teams comprised of the Harford County, Md. (Bel Air, Md.) and Maryland State Champions (Upper Montgomery Athletic Club, Md.) and teams from the following Babe Ruth League regions throughout the country:  Pacific Northwest (Willamette Valley, Ore.), Pacific Southwest (NW Bakersfield, Calif.), Southwest (Little Rock, Ark.), Midwest Plains (Cape Girardeau, Mo.), Ohio Valley (SE Lexington, Ky.), New England (Danbury, Conn.), Mid-Atlantic (Brick American, N.J.) and Southeast (Forest Hills, Fla.).