DALTON, Mass. – Tye Shove struck out 14 hitters in 5 and two-thirds innings on the mound and hit a home run and a double at the plate Friday to lead the Dalton Police Association to a 3-2 win over Realty Street in the championship game of the Dalton-Hinsdale Little League.

 

Shove also doubled, going 2-for-2, drove in two runs with his homer and scored DPA’s other run as Police earned its third straight one-run win over Realty Street.

 

DPA coach Josh Bradley praised Realty Street for going toe-to-toe with his squad three straight times. League President Jake Harte said Friday’s game was the best he has seen in all his years around the league.

 

It is a fair bet that the Dalton-Hinsdale League has not had many better title games in its 50 years of existence.

 

Realty Street rallied for a run in the top of the sixth inning and had the tying run at third base with one out when Shove picked up his final strikeout of the game and Colton Bradley came in to strike out the only hitter he faced to end it.

 

Aside from Bradley’s brief save appearance, it was a duel between Shove and Realty Street’s Anthony Zaniboni, who struck out 10 in five innings of work.

 

Realty Street played error-free ball behind Zaniboni, who at one point struck out seven in a row.

 

But John Morrow worked the only walk allowed by Zaniboni at the right time.

 

Morrow earned the free pass leading off the bottom of the first inning and was on base when Shove crushed the ball deep over the fence in center field to make it 2-0.

 

“Tye is unbelievable,” Josh Bradley said, “The [12-year-olds], all the 12s this year were unbelievable. But today was just special. Tye was locked in from the very beginning. He had a home run that was probably 235 feet. It was an absolute missile.

 

“But the way this team has come together all season, it’s honestly impressive.”

 

Realty Street trimmed its deficit to one run in the top of the third without the benefit of a base hit.

 

Liam Cooney earned a one-out walk and stole second. Then he took third and home on a couple of pitches that reached the backstop to make it 2-1.

 

Realty Street got another runner into scoring position in the inning as Camden Packard walked and moved up on a wild pitch. But Shove ended the threat by fielding a bunt and firing to first for the third out.

 

Zaniboni earned his team’s first hit to start the third inning and got as far as third, but Shove struck out three in a row to leave him there.

 

Then in the bottom of the fourth, DPA regained its two-run advantage.

 

Shove led off with a double to left and advanced on Corbin Carlow’s groundout. Then Shove raced home on a pitch in the dirt to make it 3-1.

 

Zaniboni retired the next six hitters he faced to get Realty Street to the sixth inning down by just two.

 

Parker Demarsh gave the designated visitors a lift by dropping a leadoff double into left field. He eventually came home from third when Charles Weatherax reached on an error with one out.

 

Weatherwax stole second and third base as Shove used up the last of his pitches, and DPA turned to Colton Bradley to close it out.

 

“That’s an almost impossible situation to put a kid in,” Josh Bradley said. “He dominated as well this year on the mound. He finished in the top three in total pitching stats for the year. I knew when a big moment was here, he would be able to cool his nerves and get it done for us.

 

“And he did.”

 

Bradley got the final out on a swinging strike, and DPA was able to start celebrating.

 

“My big emphasis on the year was to never quit in a game, never give up,” Josh Bradley said. “Last year, we had multiple games where we could have come out with a win, and these kids kind of quit on themselves.

 

“My job this year was to get them to never quit on themselves.”

 

Notes: Eight DPA players will get to take that no-quit spirit into next week. Four will play on Dalton-Hinsdale’s 10-and-under All-Star team, and four will play on the 12-and-under team in the Williamsport tournament that starts right back at Chamberlain Field with the Donald Gleason District 1 Tournament. … Prior to Friday’s game, the Dalton-Hinsdale Little League’s mothers recognized Harte for his, “commitment to our players, families, coaches and community.” The parents also presented the league with a slushy machine that will be set up in the Chamberlain Field concession stand.

 

Photos from this game to come.