BRISBANE, Queensland -- Despite rain that caused the game to take a quick stop, the Brisbane Bandits won 7-1 over the Adelaide Bite to win the Australian Baseball League Championship Series at AFA Stadium at Holloway Field. 

"We've got to celebrate," Bandits manager David Nilsson said. "We've got to enjoy the night, and just enjoy being together and have a great night."

The Bite came into the best-of-three series as heavy favorites due to championship experience, but the Bandits displayed a ton of heart throughout their postseason push to help themselves take home the Claxton Shield. Brisbane finished first in the regular season and rode their success all the way to a championship victory. 

"We just couldn't get the hits and they did," Adelaide skipper Steve Mintz said. "That one pitch that Lutz hit out for the three-run homer, that got them set up and we weren't able to utilize our bullpen. I had to go to one of my closers in the sixth inning just to try and hold the game.

"All the credit to Brisbane. They came out here, they beat us, and they got the hits they needed and they pitched well, and that's why they get to hold the Claxton Shield."

After taking game one of the series, Donald Lutz and Brisbane were back at it on Saturday. The German designated hitter started the scoring with a three-run shot in the third inning to drive home Riley Unroe and Justin Williams. Lutz finished the series with a .429 average at the dish. 

Brisbane continued with a run in the fourth as David Sutherland scored on a ground out by Andrew Campbell. The run was allowed due to an earlier wild pitch off the hand of Steven Chambers, which moved Sutherland to second. Sutherland took off to seal third base and eventually scored for the Bandits.

"This is the best feeling you can get," Sutherland, a first baseman and veteran of the Bandits said. "I've just got to soak it all in. I loved playing with these guys all year. What everyone's done, from the top to the bottom, from [CEO Mark] Ready down, all the guys at the front office, everyone, it's been great.

"Then obviously Dave and the coaching staff are awesome. They put everything in place. They put a great team together and they just let us play. And the guys all year, if we had a setback, we got past it. We always responded in the best way and it was just awesome. The ride was great. All you can do is just soak it in and enjoy it."

The run scored by Sutherland was enough for Chambers, who took the loss because he gave up four runs on five hits and two walks across 4.0 innings of work. 

In the fifth inning, Logan Wade hit a lead-off double to left field and later found himself crossing home to give the Bandits a 5-0 lead on an RBI from Mitch Nilsson. 

On the first at-bat in the top of the sixth inning, the Bite got on the board. Kyle Petty knocked a tower fly ball over the left field fence to shorter Adelaide's deficit to four runs. 

Ryan Battaglia singled with one out in the other half of the sixth inning and a wild pitch by Loek van Mil allowed the allowed the catcher to score. Moments later, Wade drove in Campbell to put the score at 8-1. 

Travis Blackley came out for the Bandits and tossed 6.0 innings of outstanding baseball, which he gave up just one run on six hits and one walk. The 33-year-old left-handed pitcher registered six strikeouts in the victory. 

The relievers, Matt Timms and Ryan Searle, pitched nearly perfect baseball. The duo gave up one walk across 3.0 innings of scoreless baseball to seal the deal. 

"It was just so much fun," Wade said. "There was not one point where we were nervous, there was not one point where we were out there struggling or pushing for the game. It was a free-falling game and it's almost like we knew it was going to happen.

"With the team we have, it was going to be tough to beat us this weekend. The crowds here, screaming for us, that gave us runs, and to have our friends and family here to watch the team, everything was unbelievable."

The win marks the first Claxton Shield in a decade for Brisbane and the only championship since 1994. Australian players and coaches will now get prepared for the World Baseball Classic qualifying round starting on February 18th in Sydney.