East Lyme — The core group of East Lyme’s 15-year-old Babe Ruth team has had it pretty good the past few summers.

Some of East Lyme’s players won the 2014 District 6 championship with the 13-year old team. They also won the Babe Ruth 14-year-old state title last year.

East Lyme’s annual summer fun (tournament) run came to an end on Saturday as it was beaten by Trumbull, 5-1, in the Babe Ruth (15) state championship game at Veterans Field.

“These guys over a three-year run, we had probably had about a 20-to-30 percent turnover on this team,” East Lyme manager Chris Holloway said. “About 25 percent of these kids are actually from Old Lyme, so the first time they play together, I think we practiced four days before districts together as a team, and I think they did a tremendous job. A tremendous job.”

Drew Menghi had two hits and scored for East Lyme.

East Lyme had beaten Trumbull 12-3 in its second game of the double-elimination tournament. It had two chances to win the title after advancing from the winners' bracket final.

Trumbull beat East Lyme 2-1 on Friday to set up Saturday’s winner-take-all game.

Steve Ioli kept East Lyme off balance as he pitched a five-hitter. Note that Ioli didn’t pitch for Trumbull High.

“He should (pitch),” Trumbull Babe Ruth manager Jeff John said with a smile. “He’s a second baseman, third baseman and shortstop. … There’s a (pitching) pipeline there and it’s clogged. It’s a really, really talented place, Trumbull High School, with 2,100 kids.

“He’s just always thrown really well his whole career. … He’s in, he’s out. He throws his curveball on all different counts. He’s got a new two-seam that he loves to use. He’s a gamer.”

East Lyme had a chance to take an early lead as Liam Holloway and Griffin Powers hit back-to-back singles with one out in the top of the first inning. Jake Schelky walked with two outs to load the bases, but Ioli got Jacob Diaz to fly out to end the inning.

“We just hit the ball hard at people,” Chris Holloway said.

Chaz Stolba hit a one-out RBI double to give Trumbull a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Beau DeMelo added an RBI single with a two outs.

Zach Brace and Stolba hit back-to-back singles to lead off the Trumbull fourth. Andy Koch followed with a two-run double.

East Lyme finally scored in the fifth as Menghi reached first on a one-out error, and scored on a three-base error with two outs.

“The big thing that sticks out to me about this team over the last couple of years is that players have been a little different, but the work ethic and attitude has been the same,” Holloway said. “That’s great, and that’s going to take them a lot farther than baseball.”

n.griffen@theday.com