BERLIN– The Little League all-stars breezed through their division for the fourth straight year, and could play for their fourth consecutive state title on Saturday.
Berlin’s Intermediate (13 years old) team won the District 08 title by beating West Salisbury 14-3 in a slaughter-rule-shortened game last week.
The team got off to a 3-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a pair of singles by Hayden Snelsire and Tristan McDonough and a two-RBI triple by Wes Powell. A wild pitch would also score pinch runner Kevin Beck.
West Salisbury battled back in the 2nd inning with three runs, including a solo homer by Zach Fisher, but Berlin answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning. Matt Kinsey led off with a walk, then Zach Pletcher bunted for a single. Kevon Wharton hit an infield single to load the bases, and Kinsey scored on a wild pitch. Ryan Duncan hit a sacrifice to the right side of the infield to score another run, and a balk scored Wharton from third base. Powell singled for his third RBI of the game, and Billy Wheatley followed with a run-scoring single.
Berlin added six more runs in the bottom the third inning with hits by Wharton and Snelsire, and a sacrifice by Ryan Duncan. McDonough, Powell and Wheatley had three successive hits, Hayden Cosman added a sacrifice, and Jack Rosenburg and Beck added back-to-back singles to make it 14-3.
“These kids put in a lot of work,” said coach Cameron McDonough. “They’ve made a commitment to each other and to themselves; they know what it takes to be successful and they’re willing to put in the time and effort.”
The regular season started in April, although McDonough said most of his players work on their game year-round.
“We’re actually not allowed to practice as a team until two weeks prior to our first game, but since then we’ll practice basically every day we’re off,” McDonough said. “We couldn’t take anything for granted in our division, so we had to come out and play the best we could each week.”
Seven other district champions await the Berlin team in the state finals. If the team makes it through again they will head to the Mid-Atlantic regionals.
“Then competition really starts getting fierce,” McDonough said. “Every state in the Mid-Atlantic region is represented. And after regionals is the World Series up in Livermore, California.”
Asked about their stiffest competition, McDonough simply said, “us.”
“I think if we play our best baseball, there’s no chance that we won’t get it done,” he said. “If we don’t play for each other and play the way we know we’re capable of playing, then of course anybody can be beaten. But I just think this team is so talented and they’ve worked so hard that I don’t think that if we play our best baseball we’ll be beaten in the states.
“In my mind, I think we’re going to play it through all the way to the end and go to Livermore and still be playing August 4 when it’s the international championship game,” McDonough continued. “That’s the confidence that I have and try to instill in the boys. There’s nobody out there that we can’t handle.”
The team is currently trying to raise funds to make the trip to Washington. Mail donations to Berlin Little League Baseball, P.O. Box 514, Berlin, Md., 21811. For more information call 410-641-3782.
Berlin’s Intermediate (13 years old) team won the District 08 title by beating West Salisbury 14-3 in a slaughter-rule-shortened game last week.
The team got off to a 3-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a pair of singles by Hayden Snelsire and Tristan McDonough and a two-RBI triple by Wes Powell. A wild pitch would also score pinch runner Kevin Beck.
West Salisbury battled back in the 2nd inning with three runs, including a solo homer by Zach Fisher, but Berlin answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning. Matt Kinsey led off with a walk, then Zach Pletcher bunted for a single. Kevon Wharton hit an infield single to load the bases, and Kinsey scored on a wild pitch. Ryan Duncan hit a sacrifice to the right side of the infield to score another run, and a balk scored Wharton from third base. Powell singled for his third RBI of the game, and Billy Wheatley followed with a run-scoring single.
Berlin added six more runs in the bottom the third inning with hits by Wharton and Snelsire, and a sacrifice by Ryan Duncan. McDonough, Powell and Wheatley had three successive hits, Hayden Cosman added a sacrifice, and Jack Rosenburg and Beck added back-to-back singles to make it 14-3.
“These kids put in a lot of work,” said coach Cameron McDonough. “They’ve made a commitment to each other and to themselves; they know what it takes to be successful and they’re willing to put in the time and effort.”
The regular season started in April, although McDonough said most of his players work on their game year-round.
“We’re actually not allowed to practice as a team until two weeks prior to our first game, but since then we’ll practice basically every day we’re off,” McDonough said. “We couldn’t take anything for granted in our division, so we had to come out and play the best we could each week.”
Seven other district champions await the Berlin team in the state finals. If the team makes it through again they will head to the Mid-Atlantic regionals.
“Then competition really starts getting fierce,” McDonough said. “Every state in the Mid-Atlantic region is represented. And after regionals is the World Series up in Livermore, California.”
Asked about their stiffest competition, McDonough simply said, “us.”
“I think if we play our best baseball, there’s no chance that we won’t get it done,” he said. “If we don’t play for each other and play the way we know we’re capable of playing, then of course anybody can be beaten. But I just think this team is so talented and they’ve worked so hard that I don’t think that if we play our best baseball we’ll be beaten in the states.
“In my mind, I think we’re going to play it through all the way to the end and go to Livermore and still be playing August 4 when it’s the international championship game,” McDonough continued. “That’s the confidence that I have and try to instill in the boys. There’s nobody out there that we can’t handle.”
The team is currently trying to raise funds to make the trip to Washington. Mail donations to Berlin Little League Baseball, P.O. Box 514, Berlin, Md., 21811. For more information call 410-641-3782.