Sports
Berkeley Senior League Faces Holbrook in Jackson Tonight
Team is 2-0 in Little League District 18 Tourney
A little experience can make all the difference sometimes.
That was certainly the case for the Berkeley Senior League team, which is 2-0 in the early going of the summer’s Little League District 18 tournament.
“This team won the 13-year-old district title, and lost in the sectionals last year (as a Junior League team),” said Harry Smith, the manager of the Senior League team.
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The team, which faces a team from Holbrook Little League in Jackson at 7 p.m. tonight, is one of nine Berkeley Little League all-star teams playing in the annual nationwide summer tournament, best known for its 12-year-old teams that play before a national TV audience in Williamsport, PA.
Smith said the Senior League team – 15- and 16-year-olds – opened its tournament play with a 13-4 victory over Lakewood. But its second victory, 11-8 over Manchester, showed a mettle he hopes will carry them far into the summer tournament.
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“We were losing 6-1 after the second inning,” Smith said.
But he told the boys to focus on just trying to chip away at the lead. They closed to 7-6 after six innings, and broke things open in the top of the seventh, loading the bases before Kenny Beyrouty cleared them with a double. Berkeley tacked on another run, and then pitcher John Dula kept Manchester in check, allowing just two runs in the final two innings.
“We’re a very good hitting team, and the boys are very confident,” Smith said.
After such a comeback, that confidence should just increase and serve them well against Holbrook, which defeated Brick 11-3.
Berkeley’s Junior League team defeated Brick 7-0 last Wednesday, and was scheduled to play the Junior League team from Holbrook at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Brick Little League complex.
The results haven’t been as good for the other Berkeley teams. The 10-year-old all-stars and the 12-year-old all-stars both were eliminated after tough competition in pool play. The 10-year-olds notched a 4-3 victory over the Toms River National team, but the 12-year-olds were winless.
More tournament play awaits, however, as the 11- and 13-year-old all-star tournaments get underway this weekend, with the 11-year-olds playing Toms River East American at 6 p.m. on Friday in Lacey and the 13s playing Jackson at the Toms River East Little League fields at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
