Needing just a base hit to secure their third straight Langsdorf League championship, the Kenosha Kings sure had the right guy at the plate.

Billy Johnson ripped a game-winning, two-RBI single as the Kings defeated Racine Kiwanis, 5-4, in 10 innings in the clincher of the Langsdorf League championship series Thursday night at Simmons Field.

The Kings (33-19) swept Racine for the second straight year in the best-of-three series and avoided a potential third and final game tonight.

For Johnson, it was a big relief.

“I had already made shopping plans with my wife (for tonight),” said Johnson, who was admittedly a little nervous with the Kings trailing 3-1 in the seventh inning. “Now, she won’t be super mad at me.”

Johnson had every right to worry in a game where little went right for the Kings. Kenosha stranded the bases loaded in the first inning, had a runner thrown out at the plate in a scoreless game in the fourth, committed a pair of costly errors in a tie game in the seventh and allowed the go-ahead run to score in the 10th.

Instead of just putting the game in the past and focusing on a probable rubber match, the Kings refused to give in.

Jason Dennis led off the 10th with a single and Mark Cibrario walked to put runners at first and second. After Ryan Cowhey sacrificed the runners 90 feet, Johnson lined a 3-2 fastball into left field to plate both runs.

The team mobbed Johnson at first base to celebrate for the third year in a row.

“That’s one characteristic of this team, we never give up,” Johnson said. “When we’re behind, we know we have the bats, the pitching and the defense to be able to stick with it. We definitely had the confidence out there. I knew we were going to be able to do this.”

The Kings received another outstanding outing from starter Chadd Ori. The Langsdorf Pitcher of the Year went nine innings and allowed five hits and three runs (one earned) with four walks and five strikeouts. Kings’ closer Chris Wolcott (3-2) pitched the final inning and gave up one run and two hits, including a go-ahead, RBI double by Jake Lueneburg.

Lueneburg, a recent Shoreland graduate, went hitless in his first four at-bats despite scalding the ball all over the field. The clean-up hitter then ripped a 3-2 pitch off the fence in left-center field to score Phil Cook and give Kiwanis its third lead of the night.

However, Racine reliever Eric Meeusen (5-4) couldn’t make it stand. The right-hander pitched 31/3 innings and gave up three runs (all earned) with two walks and two strikeouts.

“We were never going to give up, I knew that,” Kings’ manager Tim Pulizzano said. “Every year, winning it seems to feel sweeter and sweeter.”

It was another crushing loss for Racine. Last year, the Kings won the title on a walk-off grand slam by Dave Hermes.

“It was a great game,” said longtime Racine coach Jack Schiestle, whose team dropped to 30-15. “I’m proud of our ball players. We really played hard. When (the Kings) got the winning hit, it was like they beat the Yankees.”

The Kings close out their season by hosting Janesville in a Wisconsin State League doubleheader 1 p.m. Saturday at Simmons Field.