Montville wins District 10 Little League baseball championship
East Lyme — It turns out that Orlando Gonzalez, who is coaching a team of baseball all-stars which features the members of the Montville and New London Little Leagues combined, found the perfect combination.
"There's a little bravado on the New London side.
The Montville kids are more calm," Gonzalez said. "It's just the story they brought together."
Montville-New London, which formed a partnership this summer due to lack of numbers brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, capped an unbeaten run through the District 10 11-12-year-old all-star tournament Tuesday night with a 3-1 victory over East Lyme in a deftly pitched championship game on both sides.
Montville-New London's Eddie Torres hit a two-run home run in the top of the third inning to break a scoreless tie, then came on to pitch the final four innings to earn the victory.
"The kids look to him," said Gonzalez of Torres. "We call him 'Coach.' He turned that double play, then he capitalized with the bat."
Montville-New London, which hasn't won the District 10 title in Gonzalez's memory — even with a group of players, including Gonzalez's son, Tre, which went on to win multiple state championships at Montville High School — now earns the right to represent the district in the Connecticut Section 3 championship beginning Sept. 19 at a site to be determined. Gonzalez's team will face the District 7 champion.
On Tuesday, Montville-New London picked up some momentum in the bottom of the first with a double play. East Lyme's Max Montejano reached on an error before Montville-New London turned a grounder from Cameron Gronholm into a 3-6-3 double play from Jack Treat at first to Torres, the shortstop covering second, back to Treat. Treat practically flew off the field in celebration.
In the top of the third, it was Treat who then drew a two-out walk to
bring Torres to the plate.
Torres lofted a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left-center field, scoring Treat ahead of him, with the two removing their helmets after crossing home plate to exchange a helmet-to-helmet version of a fist bump.
In the third inning, East Lyme had runners on first and second after a single by JP Antonino and a four-pitch walk to Ryan Cellemme. Torres came in to pitch and hit Garrison Biggs to load the bases. He then gave up an infield single to Montejano to bring home East Lyme's first run, making it 2-1 with the bases still loaded and nobody out.
Torres followed with three consecutive strikeouts to end the inning, allowing Montville-New London to hang on to the lead.
Montville-New London scored again in the fifth on an RBI double by PJ Evans.
Torres finished 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored while pitching four innings, allowing four hits, striking out seven and hitting a batter. He relieved starter Andrew McElwee, who pitched two-plus innings and allowed two hits.
Montville-New London made one error and got not only the double play, but an effortless play by third baseman Desmond Powers, who picked up a bunt and gunned the ball to second base to catch the lead runner in the fourth, helping to preserve a one-run lead.
Evans added two hits for Montville-New London.
For East Lyme, starting pitcher Garrison Biggs went 4.1 innings, allowing five hits, striking out 12 and walking three. At one point Biggs struck out five straight batters. He was relieved in the fifth by Aidan Cochrane, who pitched 1.2 innings, allowing one hit, striking out four and hitting a batter.
Montejano and Harrison Papuga each had two hits for East Lyme.
"Like I said before, I knew our pitching was going to be there," Gonzalez said. "I knew we would stay in it. Defensively, we've been very, very, very good, fly balls, everything. I told them, '(East Lyme) is not here to give us anything.' We lost to East Lyme in the 9-10 (age division) and I told the kids, 'We're going to see them again.'
"One, to get the season in (despite a delay due to COVID) and then, just to win it, it's awesome. I'm so proud of them."