Middleboro eliminated by Mid-Atlantic champs at Little League World Series

All good things must end, including Middleboro's magical run at the Little League World Series.

The New England champs fought until the last out Saturday night but came up just short, losing 7-5 to Mid-Atlantic champ Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, in an elimination game in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Middleboro took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth but watched Hollidaysburg strike for four runs to take control. The teams traded blows the rest of the way, but two-run rallies by Middleboro in the fifth and sixth just weren't enough.

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"It was a battle today, obviously," Middleboro coach Chad Gillpatrick said. "We were up and then they had that big inning where they put up four runs. We were kind of chasing from there. But they competed.

"That was our goal this whole summer – to try to teach these kids how to compete and battle and have mental toughness. I think they all came a long way (but) it's finally over."

Middleboro out-hit Hollidaysburg, 9-8, and brought the potential tying run to the plate in the sixth before bowing out.

"It did come down to the final out," Gillpatrick said. "We got a couple of baserunners and Jayden (Murphy) got that big hit (to score two runs to cut the deficit to 7-5). We had the crowd up and everybody was cheering. But we didn't get (the last two runs) in."

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Murphy (2-for-4, run, 3 RBI), Mike Marzelli (2-for-4, run, RBI), Gavin Gillpatrick (2-for-3), Luke Bolduc (2-for-3, run) and Ayden Morris (1-for-3, RBI double in the first inning) were the hitting stars for Middleboro. Gavin Gillpatrick worked the first 4.1 innings, allowing 4 earned runs, before Aaron Davis came on to record the final two outs.

Jackson Boob (1-for-2, 3 RBI), Caleb Detrick (2-for-3, run, RBI), Beau Rabel (2-for-3, run), Easton Metzger (1-for-2, run, RBI), Aspen Anderson (1-for-2, RBI) and Chase Link (1-for-2 with leadoff home run in the fourth that tied the game at 1-1) did most of the damage for the Mid-Atlantic champs, who advance to play Massapequa, New York. The game was originally scheduled for Sunday but postponed until Monday.

Middleboro's Little League World Series experience isn't quite over. The Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles were in town Sunday for the 2022 MLB Little League Classic at Bowman Field, and players from both teams hung out with all the Little Leaguers during the day before the game.

Chad Gillpatrick said Middleboro will likely head home Monday.

"These boys, I'm proud of all of them," he said. "For 12-year-olds they learned a ton this summer. They had never won a tournament before and to win four straight tournaments to get to the World Series was amazing. They're all great kids; they all got along well. They have great families. Our coaching staff, we've been very fortunate to lead these kids this whole summer."

Asked if the Little League World Series atmosphere was what he expected, the coach said, "All of that and more. We were here for a long time before we even started playing games and there's a lot of work that goes into this thing. Everybody's doing it for the kids, to give them that experience.

"I had a son on the team (starting pitcher Gavin Gillpatrick), as did the other coaches, and we were lucky enough to be with them every single part of the day to see it. Hat's off to everybody who works here. They put in a lot of time and effort to give these kids a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Middleboro earned a bit of notoriety in this game by turning a quadruple play (those are impossible; bear with us), getting two outs to end the fifth inning and then getting two more just for good measure (those didn't count, obviously) as Hollidaysburg got a little confused on the bases.

The first part of the play could have been a key moment as it ended Hollidaysburg's three-run uprising in the bottom of the fifth and kept the deficit at 7-3, leaving Middleboro within striking distance. With one out, three runs already in and runners on first and second, left fielder Nathan Mello made a diving catch on Metzger's sinking line drive in left-center.

Mello popped up and tossed the ball to Murphy, the shortstop, who fired home, where catcher Jacob Landers applied the tag to a sliding Rabel, who thought the ball had dropped in for a hit. That ended the inning, but both Metzger and pinch runner Brody Dull didn't know what had happened and they were caught between first and second, passing each other on the basepaths multiple times.

Landers threw down to Marzelli, the second baseman, who figured – what the heck – let's tag both runners just to be safe.

"That (Hollidaysburg) coach (at third base) didn't know that the ball was caught," Chad Gillpatrick said. "We were screaming that the inning was over on the double play. I don't think that kid (at second base) ever tagged up anyway. It was pretty wild."

The strange play loomed large when Middleboro struck twice in the top of the sixth as Hollidaysburg misplayed Murphy's single to center field, allowing Mello and Bolduc to score to make it 7-5.

Murphy raced all the way to third on the miscue, and that brought the potential tying run to the plate. However, Anderson, the fourth Hollidaysburg reliever, slammed the door by fielding a comebacker to the mound and throwing to first for the final out.

"After the game, obviously these kids are 12 years old and emotions were high," Chad Gillpatrick said of the postgame scene. "We just congratulated them on a great season and told them we were proud of them. To be one of 10 teams in the United States out of almost 7,000 (to make it here) is a heck of an accomplishment.

"We made memories. I think after a day or two (the importance of that) will sink in. We'll head home and there's a lot of support (back home); they're already getting texts and calls from millions of people. When we get home they'll realize this was special and it will put a smile back on these kids' faces."

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Loss eliminates Middleboro from Little League World Series