A fantastic ride and season ended for the Gray-New Gloucester/Raymond Little League Baseball team on Saturday afternoon, after Mid-Atlantic Champion Media, Pennsylvania scored two runs in the sixth inning to take a 5-3 victory in a elimination game at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
After a 10-0 loss in their opening round game to Northwest Champ Seattle, Washington on Thursday, GNG/Raymond struggled out of the gate as Media, PA put a three spot on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning. They would battle back though in their first at bat, as they plated two runs helped by two errors and a wild pitch. The score stayed the same until the bottom of the fourth, and that is when GNG strung together three consecutive two-out singles with the third one by Mason Amergian driving in Gage Rioux to tie it 3-3. Media, PA came out hot in the sixth though with three singles in the frame and taking advantage of two GNG errors to plate the winning runs. Nathaniel Saleski had the game deciding RBI hit. Media advances to another elimination contest against Rhode Island on Sunday morning.
Gray-New Gloucester/Raymond, who was held to just one hit in the loss to Seattle, had six on Saturday in the defeat including two each by Rioux and Amerigan. Amerigan also pitched well in what was the final game for his team for this season giving up two earned runs on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts. GNG, who went 12-0 during their district, state, and regional tournaments also committed a total of four errors and had a total of eight in their two WS games. They were the first team from Maine to play in the LL World Series since Westbrook did so in 2005, and only the fourth all-time from the Pine Tree State.
Story by Chris Lessner
