BERLIN- The Berlin Little League Senior All-Star team last weekend captured the Maryland state championship and now heads to the eastern regionals with a change to advance to the national championship.
The Berlin Senior League All-Stars did their best Baltimore Orioles imitation during the Maryland District 8 tournament, hammering multiple home runs on their way to a state championship. No less impressive was the pitching, which yielded just eight runs over the last three games of the tournament.
The District 8 tournament started well enough for Berlin, which beat Talbot County in its opener, 10-8. In the second round, however, Berlin got hammered by St. Mary’s, 22-12, in a high-scoring game that sent the local team down to the loser’s bracket.
Berlin’s Hunter Selzer pitched a complete game in the state championship win over St. Mary’s last Friday.
Submitted photo
Berlin battled back, however, with a 7-2 win over Elkton, setting up a double-elimination championship bout with St. Mary’s, which had already beaten Berlin, 22-12.
In the first game against St. Mary’s last Thursday, Berlin stayed alive with a 14-3 win. Chris Harrington homered twice and Zach Pilarski added a solo shot while Jake Shockley got the win on the mound. The win set up a third game with St. Mary’s for the state championship.
In the title game on Friday, Berlin crushed the ball again and crushed St. Mary’s, 18-3, to claim the state championship. Harrington again hit two home runs, while Clarke McDonough hit a two-run shot and Hayden Snelsire also homered. Hunter Selzer went the distance on the mound for Berlin in a game shortened by the mercy rule.
With the District 8 championship in hand, the Berlin Senior All-Stars advance to the eastern regional championship tournament in New Jersey starting this weekend. Berlin will face Connecticut in its eastern regional opener on Friday.