In an extra-inning showdown that can only be described as nail-biting, the Lake Mary All-Stars clenched their first-ever Little League World Series title with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Chinese Taipei. In what was a back-and-forth affair, Lake Mary's achievement marked Florida's triumph after eight previous attempts to snag the coveted crown, as reported by WFTV.

The game, held on Sunday, saw Chinese Taipei quickly gaining an initial lead with a single by Hu Yen-Chun in the first inning, a lead they maintained until Lake Mary's last-ditch efforts in the sixth. According to a ClickOrlando report, Lake Mary's DJ Mieses was key in tying the game, knocking a hit that brought Chase Anderson in to score. The tension ratcheted higher as the game stretched into extra innings – something that hasn't happened since 2007 at the LLWS.

Despite scoring opportunities created by players like Chris Chikodroff, who slammed a double in the seventh inning, Lake Mary couldn't capitalize until the deciding eighth. Lathan Norton, the eventual scorer of the winning run, expressed his elation, as per ClickOrlando's report, saying "It was the greatest feeling ever" and that the victory still hadn't entirely sunk in.

In an unexpected turn of events, LLWS rules stipulated that starting in the eighth inning, offenses were to begin their at-bat with a runner already on second. Chinese Taipei could not manage to quickly cash in on this advantage. But in the bottom half, Lake Mary seized their chance. After executing a strategy to advance the runner, Lake Mary watched as their fortunes changed dramatically with the errant throw allowing them to push across the decisive run. With one final play, Lake Mary dethroned their long-standing contenders, etching their name into the Little League history books.

Before they could claim the international title, Lake Mary had to overcome Boerne, Texas, in the national championship on Saturday, setting the stage for Sunday's clash with Chinese Taipei.