Weymouth 12U All-Stars made lifelong memories at Cal Ripken World Series in Maine

It was a summer to remember for Shaun Walsh.

"It was amazing," the Weymouth coach said of his team's recent runner-up finish at the Cal Ripken Baseball 12U World Series in Waterville, Maine. "Every step of the way, each game had a different kid stepping up. Different, crazy outcomes, unforgettable moments. It was really exciting.

"It started out in districts. We actually lost our first district game, so after that we really didn't know where the ride was going to take us. But we got hot, rode that wave into the state tournament and made one heck of a run through that tournament in Burlington and came out victorious, which led to an invitation to the regional play-in, which set us up to go to the World Series."

Weymouth, which went 16-6-1 overall in a 10-week playoff run, fell to Andy Valley, Maine, 12-4, in the World Series final, but there were plenty of highlights along the way.

More: Headed to the World Series in Maine, Weymouth U12 Cal Ripken cherishes memorable summer

Take James Mills' eighth-inning, walk-off home run to win the state crown in Burlington.

Or Tommy Byrne's masterful performance in the World Series semifinals, a 1-0 win over Ararat, Maine. Byrne was one out away from a no-hitter and settled for a 1-hit shutout. He also drove in the game's only run with a third-inning double that plated Luke Freeman.

"Sixty-one pitches in total," Walsh noted. "He was just phenomenal. I don't believe they got a runner past second base. He was just in complete and total command and he had strong defense behind him all night. I've had Tommy on my regular-season team and I've seen him 'on' before, but I've never seen him in such complete command of a game. He had quite the run all summer starting back in districts, through states. He's a kid who wants the ball and he rises to the occasion."

Weymouth went 4-1 in World Series pool play to win the National Division and earn a bye into the semis. After dispatching Ararat they came up just short against Andy Valley, a team they had beaten, 2-1, in their Series opener.

Andy Valley, which wound up outscoring opponents 72-8 en route to the title, jumped on Weymouth with a seven-run second inning. Walsh's kids, including his son, Owen, wouldn't go quietly, though, cutting the deficit to 7-4 on Byrne's RBI double and a three-run home run by Dylan Fiori-Hess.

"We just had one of those innings that everyone has," Walsh said of falling behind early. "We got out of the first inning and I think my starting pitcher had fewer than 10 pitches thrown. We felt really good, we had gotten a win over these guys (already). When we got it back to 7-4 we had a couple of (innings still to go) and I truly felt like if we could get it a little closer it would give us an opportunity (to win it late), but unfortunately things didn't unfold that way for us.

"But I'm proud of the way they fought all the way to the end, and they finished with their heads held high."

Series MVP Jacoby Boyce homered twice in the late innings to keep Weymouth at bay and seal the title.

"He hit two home runs in the final; one may not have landed yet," Walsh joked. "Special talent."

The 12-team World Series had a heavy local accent (four teams from Maine) but also featured clubs from Virginia, Idaho, Indiana, California, Kentucky, Connecticut and Vermont. It lasted eight days, meaning Weymouth had lots of down time. There were visits to a local bowling alley and a trip to the mini-Fenway Park in Waterville.

"I'm a hockey dad, so I've been to tournaments, but normally (with those) you're in and you're out in 48 hours," Walsh said. "This was exceptionally long. It was a grind, but the kids handled it very well, as did the parents and the other coaches.

"The blessing was that once we won our pool we got Thursday off and we were able to go down and check out the (Portland) Sea Dogs game. (That's the Red Sox's Double-A affiliate.) We went from baseball to more baseball, but we were able to get out of the hotel, do some bonding and be away from the tournament atmosphere that we had been in for the better part of a week at that point."

The Series trip also included a brush with baseball royalty. The introductory banquet included a speech from former Major League pitcher Ferguson Jenkins, a three-time All-Star who won 284 career games and was the 1971 Cy Young Award winner for the National League. (Fear not -- Walsh told the Weymouth kids who he was.)

The trip wasn't cheap, but Walsh said the team hit its fundraising goal of $25,000 through a GoFundMe account.

"The community rallied," he said. "The GoFundMe was up within two hours (of getting the World Series berth) and it really gained momentum as the week wore on. People were extremely generous. We also got a donation of some food from Alfredo Aiello Italian Foods, Inc. We got some rolls and meatballs so we could throw them in the crockpot so we could have a meal that wasn't in a restaurant one night."

Along with Mills, Byrne, Freeman, Fiori-Hess and Owen Walsh, the Weymouth roster also featured Cameron McFarland, Gavin Donlan, Dominick Fasoli, Jared Hixon, James Krey, Eric Murray and Timmy Mycroft.

"Fierce competitors," Shaun Walsh said of his players. "They just continued to find ways to win. I'd have to go back through (the box scores) but we won a tremendous amount of one-run games.

"The majority of this team had been together the year previous and had made a decent run in the state tournament although it didn't pan out with an invitation to regionals. They came in (this summer) and were focused. They had a goal and when they were in between the lines they played at an exceptionally high level in some very intense games."

Shaun Walsh's coaching staff featured Jordan Krey (James' dad), Steve McFarland (Cameron's dad) and Mike Murray (Eric's dad).

"All great guys," Shaun Walsh said. "The collaboration that we had, having four guys always on the same page with one another, agreeing with each other in making the decisions to put these kids in the best position to win, it was an experience I'll never forget."

Weymouth's run might be over, but the team is sticking together. Almost all of the players will attend the same school this fall, and the team itself will be marching in Weymouth's Irish Heritage parade next month.

"Easily the most successful summer team that Weymouth Cal Ripken has ever had," Shaun Walsh said. "I'm very, very happy and proud to have been a part of it with all my fellow coaches and these kids. They'll be remembered forever."

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Weymouth's magic summer concludes at Cal Ripken World Series in Maine