Back to back: Dover 11s win New England Cal Ripken baseball championship again
NEW CANAAN, Connecticut — The Dover 11-and-under Cal Ripken baseball team of 2022 has achieved a level of success its coach Mike Lynch didn't see coming last year when the 2021 season began.
"Two seasons later, (if you told me) we'd be talking about back-to-back New England regional championships, I would've never believed you," Lynch said.
It is now reality. Dover defeated West Hartford, Connecticut, 5-2, Friday night for another New England championship after winning the 10-and-under New England title in 2021.
"We know we walk into pretty much any tournament with the best pitching in the tournament, it's just a matter of how well we defend and how well we hit the ball," Lynch said. "And these kids, time after time, despite winning as much as they have, are still motivated to go out there each and every day and give it 100% and try to win for each other."
More: Dover 11s advance to New England Cal Ripken baseball semifinals with 12-0 rout
After both teams scored a run in the first inning, Dover outscored West Hartford 4-1 the rest of the way. Dover racked up 11 hits while holding West Hartford to four.
Dover's Des Fennessy hit a two-out RBI single to right field which scored Trey Longuil for Dover's first run.
Dover starter Connor Lynch pitched a complete game, allowing two runs on four hits, and struck out five batters.
"It was probably the best all around game we've played all summer," coach Mike Lynch said. "We didn't hit it as well as we usually do, but (West Hartford's) pitcher threw really well. We made four just incredible defensive plays throughout the game. Our pitching was really good, and just really an 'A' effort all around."
Longuil, the catcher, made a tremendous catch in foul territory to end the game and secure the win for Dover.
Fennessy's single to right field scored Lynch in the third inning, followed by a double by Camden Stowell to score Fennessy as Dover led 3-1 in the third.
In the fourth, Lynch singled in Ben Cheek. Longuil's RBU double in the fifth inning scored Jack Calhoun, who was a pinch runner for Lucas Grigas after Grigas singled.
West Hartford had defeated Dover on Tuesday night, 6-5, in the final game of the preliminary. Dover was itching to respond to that loss, and Lynch said it was evident throughout the contest.
"They hate losing more than anything in the world, whether it's a baseball game, video games or rock, paper, scissors," Lynch said. "For them to lose, and we knew the way the bracket was shaping up that if we handled things on our side, that we'd like to get another crack at them."
Dover won New Hampshire state titles in 2021 and 2022 to qualify for the New England regional. After winning the New England title in 2021, Dover went on to the World Series in Florida, reaching the final 12 among 20 teams. There is no age 11 Worlds Series for Cal Ripken baseball.
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Dover 11s win New England Cal Ripken baseball championship again
