Bayonne Advances to Little League World Series
October has come a bit early this year.
In a thrilling finale to the Little League World Series Metro Regional Tournament, New Jersey’s Bayonne Central pulled off an 8-6 upset against Darien, Connecticut, marking their first-ever trip to Williamsport in the league’s 75-year history.
With a 60-foot basepath, both teams were fiercely competitive. The match was certainly more intense than their previous encounter just last Saturday in Bristol, Connecticut, where Jersey had triumphed with an 8-2 score.
Catcher Hugh Butler kickstarted Darien’s scoring with an impressive RBI triple against Bayonne pitcher Chase Klimkowski.
Left fielder Alex Abelson, designated hitters Jack Houlihan and Roscoe Harty, along with all twelve players on the roster, kept the momentum alive for Darien, concluding the first inning with a 4-0 lead.
This was the first game in the double-elimination tournament where the previously undefeated New Jersey squad allowed more than two runs.
Bayonne’s second baseman Owen Ferris didn’t take well to the early deficit, hitting an RBI double off Darien pitcher Chase Sutter, narrowing the score to 4-2 in the bottom of the first.
Sutter then countered with six straight strikeouts and a two-run homer in the third, pushing Darien’s lead to 6-2. His performance was remarkable, racking up nine strikeouts over three innings. Mason Rincon came in as relief and did a commendable job limiting the damage.
Interestingly, Dylen intentionally walked Rincon three times, avoiding letting him face powerful hitters—first with the bases loaded in the third inning and again in the fifth.
After a bad fielder’s choice allowed a run, Sutter walked catcher Jett Bridges, but still managed to maintain a 6-4 lead.
After reaching his pitch limit, Sutter exited in the fourth inning, and Harty came in to wrap up that inning without any further scoring.
Rincon proved valuable in defense, striking out six consecutive batters across the fourth to sixth innings.
In an intense moment in the fifth, Ferris, facing bases loaded and one out after Rincon’s third intentional walk, hit a near-homer double, tying the game at six.
Then Bridges hit an all-important RBI single against reliever Rex Paquette, and Klimkowski added another run with a fly that sailed into the right-field seats. This turned the tables dramatically, leading to an exhilarating 8-6 comeback for Bayonne, a moment that will surely be remembered in Little League history. Rincon completed the match striking out six batters in a row and finishing with nine in total.
Next, Bayonne is set to play again on Wednesday in the Little League World Series opener against Bridgewater, Massachusetts, which will be aired on ESPN at 7 p.m.
