INDIANAPOLIS - South Dakota Little League champion Canyon Lake has served notice - it is a contender to go to Williamsport, Pa., for the Little League World Series.

Canyon Lake upset heavy favorite Urbandale, Iowa, in a come-from-behind, thrilling 9-8 victory at Stokely Field in Indianapolis.

Canyon Lake has taken the lead in the Midwest Region with a 2-0 record. Coon Rapids, Minn., is also unbeaten, but it has played just one game.

When asked if his team should not be considered the favorite to win the region, Canyon Lake coach Doug Simons didn't shy away from the question.

"We should be one of them," he said. "I thought Iowa coming in was the favorite, but we showed that we're here, too."

"It feels really good," pitcher Cale Fierro said. "With all of the other teams staying here (in the same dorm), they (now) know that we're one of the best here."

After two innings, a Canyon Lake victory seemed unlikely. Urbandale scored four times in the first inning and three more runs in the second to take a 7-1 lead.

Canyon Lake, however, scored in every single inning, cutting the lead to four after two innings, then three after three, then to 7-5 before taking an 8-7 lead with a three-run fifth inning.

In the fifth, T.J. Nolan drilled a one-out home run to cut the Iowa lead to 7-6. Nolan's knock was followed by three straight infield singles - by Logan Anderson, Mark Petereit and Alec Winter - and two wild pitches, giving the Rapid City squad its first lead.

"I knew the kids wouldn't give up," Doug Simons said. "The kids just kept chipping away and chipping away. It felt great to come back like that."

"I knew that we could come back," Fierro said. "I've seen us come through (too many) times to think we were going to quit."

Urbandale, showing why it was considered the favorite, played small ball to tie the score after five-and-a-half innings. A walk, a sacrifice bunt and an RBI single by Jonathan Eide knotted the game at 8-8.

With one down, Fierro singled to left field. He then went to second on a wild pitch. Disgusted Urbandale pitcher Ryan Yoder lost sight of Fierro, who sprinted for third base and slid just under the tag of third baseman Jonah Hanson. Bill Hendricks followed with an infield single that plated Fierro with the winning run.

The idea to take off - and put himself a base from scoring the winning run - was all Fierro's.

"Make sure it's real clear that it was Cale's decision, not the first base coach's," first base coach Jeff Minnick said with a laugh.

"I knew I was going to get there," Fierro countered. "The pitcher was still upset about the wild pitch and he wasn't even looking."

"The bottom line is, it was huge. It allowed the run to score," Simons said.

Canyon Lake will put its unbeaten mark on the line on Monday against Coon Rapids, Minn. Coon Rapids is 1-0 and faces Columbia, Mo., today.