PHOTO COURTESY OF BRYAN PUGNER
The Berlin Little League All Star 11-12 league proudly displays their championship banner after defeating Fruitland Little League for the District 8 title.

By Morgan Pilz, Staff Writer

(July 26, 2018) After another week of tournaments, one Berlin Little League All-Star team continues to pursue a state championship title.

11-12 League

In state competition, the 11-12 team defeated South Maryland Little League in Hagerstown on Saturday, July 21, 12-1. Then on Tuesday, the Berlin team edged out Concocheague Little League, 3-2, in Hagerstown.

“It was just the perfect balance of these guys playing their role to the fullest,” Head Coach Cameron McDonough said Tuesday evening. “It was just beautiful the way the guys all played together and it didn’t matter who was in or who was out of the game, they were all playing for each other. It was beautiful to watch.”

Junior Softball League

The Junior League team was eliminated from the regional tournament on Tuesday, losing to top-seeded Rhode Island, 16-0.

“It was a great experience for the girls and could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them,” Head Coach Katie Griffin said. “In the end, they competed well against some great teams and will make history being the first softball team from Berlin to win a state championship and win games in a regional tournament.”

The team won its first game of the regional tournament, topping Delaware, 9-6, in Connecticut on Friday, July 20.

The Berlin All Stars lost to Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 21, 7-2. The girls then turned their luck around and pulled out a 5-0 win over Connecticut on Tuesday. They fell to Rhode Island later that day.

Minor Softball League

The Minor Softball League team’s tournament run ended Thursday, July 19, during the state championship against Chesapeake City Little League in Waldorf. Berlin lost 4-3.

“I’m proud of them for going farther than any minor team has gone before in the Berlin Little League softball history,” Head Coach Katie Griffin said.

The team began their state tournament run Saturday, July 14, in Waldorf. The girls shut out their first opponent, Talbot All Stars, 10-0 in four innings. The team then won 10-0 over St. Mary’s All Stars on Sunday.

The girls played against Chesapeake City on Tuesday, July 17, and lost, 6-4. The next day, the squad defeated St. Mary’s 11-5.