Port Washington’s Little League Journey Ends
Port Washington’s remarkable season concluded on Wednesday evening as they faced an 8-4 defeat to Darien, Connecticut, in the Metro Regional round of the Little League World Series.
This loss was particularly hard to take. They were just two victories away from making their first-ever appearance at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, a milestone that would have marked a significant moment in the team’s 63-year journey.
With this win, Darien moved forward to the championship match against Bayonne, New Jersey, scheduled to air on ESPN this Friday at 7 p.m.
The game, held at Leon J. Breen Field in Bristol, Connecticut, saw Darien take an early lead when catcher Hugh Butler hit a home run off Carlo Cafferata in the bottom of the first inning. Port struggled initially to get their offense going against Darien’s starter, Charlie McClain, who pitched 2⅓ scoreless innings. Things began to shift a bit when Chase Sutter replaced the runner on second base during the third inning.
Carlo Cafferata managed to redeem himself by hitting an RBI single that evened the score at 1-1. Port had the bases loaded but couldn’t capitalize further in that inning.
As the game progressed, Darien regained control in the third inning. An infield error allowed right fielder Wells Johnson to score, putting Darien ahead again. They extended their lead to 4-1 thanks to Luka Hidaka’s RBI double along with Butler’s follow-up double.
Drew Theoharis came in for Cafferata with runners on second and third and no outs, and Sutter continued to shine, driving in two more runs with a double, pushing the score to 6-1.
Theoharis would also bring in an RBI single off relief pitcher Rex Paquette in the fifth inning, making it 6-2.
Butler kept Darien in the driver’s seat, adding another significant two-run RBI in the bottom of the fifth, extending their lead to 8-2.
Despite the odds, Port Washington put up a fight until the final moments, hitting a grand slam in the sixth inning. Luka Theoharis, brother of Drew, landed a double, adding energy to a one-out rally that cut Darien’s lead to 8-4.
However, Darien’s closer, Roscoe Harty, stepped up and secured the game’s final two outs with a double play.
Port’s season has become a national highlight, partly due to a unique tradition where coaches collect the players’ cell phones in a bucket five hours before games. It turns out this simple act fostered camaraderie, turning their time together into a fun, device-free experience that they began to consider their good luck charm during the New York State Championship.
Bayonne Central, undefeated this season, made a strong impression as well. The team defeated a powerful Connecticut squad 8-2 in their Metro Region opener and beat Port 12-2 in the winner’s bracket of a double-elimination tournament.
The young athletes from Bayonne are enjoying a historic moment, celebrating the first state championship of their age group in the league’s 75-year existence.
