One day after the Massachusetts state champions eliminated Concord Little League with a decisive victory, Middleborough punched its ticket to the Little League World Series with a 10-1 victory over Bangor, Maine, in the New England Region Tournament championship on Thursday at the A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center in Bristol, Conn.
Jayden Murphy was the winning pitcher, surrendering just one run on one hit, allowing three walks, while striking out nine in four innings. He also smacked a two-run home run over the left field fence in the top of the fifth inning.
Cayden Ellis (2-for-3, two RBI, run) singled home Mike Marzelli for a 1-0 lead in the top of the first and Bangor kept it 1-0 through two innings, but Jacob Landers had a three-run triple in the third inning to make it 4-0 and Murphy’s dinger in the fifth made it 7-1.
Middleborough tacked on three more runs in the sixth.
Carter Catell scored Maine’s only run in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Patrick Guite drew a walk with the bases loaded.
Landers earned the save for Massachusetts, striking out five, walking one and allowing one hit over the final two innings.
The victory avenges Middleborough’s only loss of the tournament, a 10-4 loss to Bangor on Monday that sent Massachusetts to the elimination bracket, setting up the rematch with Concord.
Middleborough beat Concord, 1-0, last weekend to open the tournament and 11-0 in five innings on Wednesday to advance to the final.
Two key players on the Massachusetts squad to keep an eye on in Williamsport are Murphy and Gavin Gillpatrick, who were impressive both on the mound and at the plate.
As a starting pitcher, Murphy went 2-0, with 18 strikeouts in 9.1 innings, walking seven, and allowing just one run on three hits. He also went 6-for-14 with two homers, a triple, double, five runs scored and four RBI throughout the tournament.
Gillpatrick went 6-for-13 over Middleborough’s four games, belting two homers (both of them securing victories over Concord) with a double, six RBI and five runs. He went 1-0 and earned a save on the mound, striking out 10, allowing just two hits and one walk in 5.2 shutout innings.
The Little League World Series – featuring 10 U.S. regional tournament champions and 10 international tournament winners – opens on Wednesday and ends Aug. 28.