Just  24 hours after getting smoked by Branson by a 13-1 score in pool play,  the Kennewick American 12-year-olds beat the host Missouri team 4-2 in  the first round of Gold Bracket championship play at the Cal Ripken  World Series.

The  victory advances Kennewick (4-1) to the quarterfinals, where it will  take on Hawaii Kai (3-1) at 7 a.m. Pacific time on Wednesday.

“I’ve  lost my voice,” said KA manager Steve Martinez. “This was just  incredible. After losing 13-1 to the same team, and then beating them,  it’s incredible. It was a huge task in front of those kids and they did  it.”

Martinez said that the difference on Tuesday compared to Monday was simple.

“I  think it was just the kids’ backs were against the wall,” said  Martinez, referring to the single-elimination format of the bracket. “I  don’t know what it was about pool play, but today we had nothing to  lose. We were going to go out there and give it everything we had.”

Kennewick  pitcher Brody Martin went the distance, going 6 innings, scattering 6  hits, surrendering 2 earned runs and one walk, while striking out 4  batters.

Martin tossed 87 pitches to earn the complete-game victory.

“We were one batter away from having to replace him due to the pitch limit,” said Martinez.

Cal  Ripken rules state that pitchers have a limit of 85 pitches in an  outing. But for Martin, he was under that limit when he faced the last  batter, and he’s allowed to finish pitching to that hitter.

“Brody, the heart that that kid has, it’s one of the biggest things out there,” said Martinez. “He has ice in his veins.”

The game was tied 2-2 in the top of the sixth inning when Kennewick scrapped for two runs.

Consecutive singles by Jett Bricker, Kolby Martin and Peter Taggares loaded the bases.

After  an out, Presley Martinez slapped a grounder to the Branson second  baseman, who had nowhere to go except first base for an out.

That drove in a run and gave Kennewick a 3-2 lead.

“Putting the ball in play there was huge,” said Steve Martinez.

Kennewick added a fourth run on a passed ball.

Offensively, Taggares went 3 for 3, while Kolby Martin was 2 for 2 and scored three runs.