H.A. George Wins North Adams Little League Title
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — After rolling in the first game of the North Adams Little League championship series, H.A. George Propane was rocked in the first inning on Wednesday night.
But the tournament's top seed recovered from a 5-1 deficit to defeat Elks, 12-9, and win the best-of-three series, 2-0, at Fallon Field.
"I just told them to get back to Baseball 101, do what we do and do what we've been doing all year," H.A. George coach John Moulton said. "We play basic baseball pretty well.
"The first thing I told them is what I always tell them: There's a lot of baseball left."
Landon Champney, who was victimized by two first-inning errors in that five-run Elks first, settled down and left the game after three innings, allowing one earned run and departing with his team down, 6-5.
H.A. George tied the game in the top of the fourth when Damero Powell reached on an infield single and came home on an error.
And Moulton’s team took control with a four-run fifth to take a 10-6 lead.
Elks battled back, using a Hunter DeGrenier double to key a three-run bottom of the fifth, but Ben Moulton (4-for-4 with four doubles and four runs scored) had the big hit in a two-run sixth for H.A. George to provide the final margin.
Three different pitchers combined for the win for H.A. George, which won Tuesday’s opener, 10-0, in four innings.
After Champney departed, Ethan Gagne came on to throw two innings of relief. Cole Benoit finished things off with a scoreless sixth, getting the third out on a strikeout with runners at the corners.
Steve Dix pitched into the fifth for Elks, striking out nine and allowing five earned runs. Dominic DeMayo came on with Moulton on second and allowed just one earned run in two innings of work.
"We just had a solid team," John Moulton said. "We had good pitching all year, good hitting and good Baseball 101. They just did the simple things.
"And a lot of kids stepped up. We had one of our top players [Owen Gagne] who didn't play until the championship. He was cleared by the doctor, but he had a brace [on his left wrist], so he couldn't swing with two hands.
"We won without him all year and still ended up first."
Tags: championship, little league, youth baseball,
