Montville is district champion

Waterford — According to Little League pitching bylaws, Montville American's Tommy McDonald had 85 pitches to tame Waterford South on Sunday in the District 10 championship.

Only Waterford South was coming off a six-home run performance in the last game between the teams, a 13-3 Waterford South victory on Friday.

And McDonald, clinging to a 3-1 lead, had two runners on with one out in the fourth and exactly five pitches left to get to his limit, a fact of which he was well aware.

Not too many worries for a 12-year-old seventh-grader-to-be.

"I just had to make every pitch like it was my last," McDonald said. "I was trying to get through one batter at a time. I was pretty surprised I got through all three."

McDonald did just that, however, retiring the side and leaving the bases full of Waterford South runners as Montville American claimed its first District 10 Little League 11-12-year-old baseball championship in 27 years with a 7-4 victory. It is also the last season that Montville American will be in existence - the league will combine next year with Montville National.

Montville American will begin play in the Section II state tournament on Wednesday in East Hampton, meeting District 11 champion Moosup.

"I thought that our defense was phenomenal," said McDonald, who allowed three hits in four innings, striking out five and walking five before being spelled by Troy Sullivan for the final two innings. "I'm proud of my team."

With five pitches left, McDonald used one when Adam Pinch laid down a bunt and McDonald fielded the ball himself and got the lead runner at third for the second out.

He used one more when Jake Mangual singled to load the bases.

And because a pitcher is allowed to finish throwing to a batter once he starts, McDonald was able to remain in the game and pitch to No. 3 hitter Spencer Hoagland, from whom he finally induced a popup, leaving the score at 3-1 Montville American.

A pumped-up Montville American team then scored four runs in the top of the fifth to make it 7-1, highlighted by a two-run double from Quentin DuPerry.

Waterford South's Michael Clapsadle walked and scored in the fifth and hit a two-run homer into the parking lot in the sixth to pull his team within 7-4, but Sullivan got the final out to give Montville American the title.

Montville American took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning on two-run single by Sullivan, a line shot down the left field line, and on an RBI grounder by Mark Malchiodi.

"These guys deserve it," Montville American manager Jeff Dombrowski said. "We have 13 kids, who whether they get one at-bat or play the whole game, go to every practice."

Montville American beat Waterford South 6-4 last week in the winners' bracket of the tournament, also behind a 10-strikeout performance from McDonald and Sullivan.

In the rematch Friday, Waterford broke the game open with eight runs in the third inning and got two homers each in the game from Mangual and Clapsadle.

"They played really well. McDonald did a very, very nice job," Waterford South manager Greg Waldron said Sunday. "It's more disappointing for the kids. They worked hard. They overachieved. They're really good baseball players."