RECAP: Middleboro (New England) plays Pennsylvania in Little League World Series
After watching his team drop its opening game in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, Middleboro coach Chad Gillpatrick had a simple plan.
"Let’s keep getting more games, you know?" he said. "Let’s play Saturday and see what happens: win one and get some momentum. Let’s just get some more baseball. I don’t want it to end.”
Gillpatrick's team, which is representing New England, has one chance to extend its stay in the tournament. Middleboro must beat Mid-Atlantic champ Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, in Saturday's elimination-round game (7 p.m., ESPN2).
Middleboro almost dug out of a 5-0 deficit in its opening loss, but Southeast champ Nolensville, Tennessee, flashed some fine defensive skills to preserve a 5-3 win.
More: Middleboro falls in opening game at LLWS: 'Let’s play Saturday and see what happens'
Hollidaysburg also lost its first game, falling 8-3 to Southwest champ Pearland, Texas.
This is Middleboro's first trip to Williamsport since 1994. It's Hollidaysburg's first-ever visit.
More: MEET TEAM NEW ENGLAND: Middleboro brings hometown flavor to Little League World Series
Unable to catch the action? This page is home of all the updates you need to keep up with what the Middleboro Little League team (Team New England) is up to during its matchup with Team Mid-Atlantic (Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania) on Saturday.
Final
New England champ Middleboro is out of the Little League World Series after losing, 7-5, to Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania in an elimination game. Middleboro showed fight by scoring twice in each of the last two innings but came up just short.
Sixth inning
Middleboro 5, Hollidaysburg 7
Middleboro (Visitor) -- Middleboro scores twice when the center fielder overruns Jayden Murphy's two-out single, allowing Nathan Mello and Luke Bolduc to score, but that's all the New England champs could muster.
Fifth inning
Middleboro 3, Hollidaysburg 7
Middleboro (Visitor) -- Middleboro scores twice to get back within 4-3. Jacob Landers started the rally by getting hit by a pitch with one out. Jayden Murphy doubled him home and Mike Marzelli followed with an RBI single. Gavin Gillpatrick then singled Marzelli to second, but Hollidaysburg called on reliever Aspen Anderson to record the final two outs.
Hollidaysburg (Home) -- The Mid-Atlantic champs stretched their lead on Caleb Detrick's RBI single (that made it 5-3) and Jackson Boob's two-run single to center that made it 7-3 and chased Gavin Gillpatrick in favor of reliever Aaron Davis. Nathan Mello's diving catch in left field started a 7-6-2 double play as Middleboro escaped further damage.
Fourth inning
Middleboro 1, Hollidaysburg 4
Middleboro (Visitor) -- Pinch-hitter Aaron Davis drew a two-out walk against relief pitcher Tyler McGough, who had started the game at shortstop, but Middleboro does not score.
Hollidaysburg (Home) -- Chase Link's leadoff home run to straightaway center field tied the score at 1-1, and the Mid-Atlantic champs tacked on three more runs for a 4-1 lead on an RBI groundout by Jackson Boob and back-to-back RBI singles by Easton Metzger and Aspen Anderson.
Third inning
Middleboro 1, Hollidaysburg 0
Middleboro (Visitor) -- Middleboro went down 1-2-3.
Hollidaysburg (Home) -- Another 1-2-3 inning for Middleboro pitcher Gavin Gillpatrick, who has retired seven in a row since Caleb Detrick's two-out double in the first.
Second inning
Middleboro 1, Hollidaysburg 0
Middleboro (Visitor) -- Pitcher Braden Hatch worked around a two-out single to center by Luke Bolduc by getting Jacob Landers to ground into a force play.
Hollidaysburg (Home) -- Middleboro pitcher Gavin Gillpatrick works a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout.
First inning
Middleboro 1, Hollidaysburg 0
Middleboro (Visitor) -- Middleboro strikes first as Ayden Morris doubles home Mike Marzelli from second base with out. Middleboro strung together three straight hits -- singles from Marzelli and Gavin Gillpatrick, followed by Morris' rocket into the gap -- but Hollidaysburg turned Cayden Ellis' chopper up the first-base line into a 1-3-2 double play to escape further damage.
Hollidaysburg (Home) -- Gavin Gillpatrick allowed a two-out double to left-center by Caleb Detrick but got Braden Hatch to fly out. Gillpatrick threw 12 pitches, 8 for strikes.
LINEUPS
New England (Middleboro)
No. 18 Jayden Murphy, SS
No. 10 Mike Marzelli, 2B
No. 15 Gavin Gillpatrick, P
No. 19 Ayden Morris, 1B
No. 14 Cayden Ellis, CF
No. 5 Reece Trottier, RF
No. 7 Nathan Mello, LF
No. 8 Luke Bolduc, 3B
No. 12 Jacob Landers, C
Mid-Atlantic (Hollidaysburg, Penn.)
No. 10 Tyler McGough, SS
No. 18 Chase Link, C
No. 9 Caleb Detrick, RF
No. 19 Braden Hatch, P
No. 7 Beau Rabel, 2B
No. 13 Alex Dively, LF
No. 14 Brody Dull, 1B
No. 4 Aspen Anderson, CF
No. 6 Nate Phillips, 3B
GAME OUTCOMES
If Middleboro wins: another elimination-game matchup against Metro champ Massapequa, New York, Sunday at 2 p.m. on ABC.
If Middleboro loses: the team is eliminated.
MEET THE TEAM
New jersey numbers were issued for the LLWS.
No. 4 Shawn Miller, OF
No. 5 Reece Trottier, OF
No. 6 Joe Monteforte, OF
No. 7 Nathan Mello, OF
No. 8 Luke Bolduc, 3B
No. 9 Aaron Davis, OF
No. 10 Mike Marzelli, 2B
No. 12 Jacob Landers, P/C
No. 14 Cayden Ellis, OF
No. 15 Gavin Gillpatrick, C/SS/P
No. 18 Jayden Murphy, P/SS
No. 19 Ayden Morris, 1B
Manager: Chad Gillpatrick
Assistant Coaches: Glenn Marzelli and Joe Trottier
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: LIVE UPDATES: Middleboro plays in Little League World Series
