Bayonne, New Jersey’s Little League World Series aspirations concluded Tuesday evening with a 5-2 defeat to West Side Little League of Hamilton, Ohio, in an elimination game in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The loss officially removed Bayonne from the tournament.
Both starting pitchers maintained scoreless innings through the first three. Bayonne’s Jett Bridges managed to escape a second-inning threat when left fielder Dex Zimmerman threw out a runner attempting to score. Hamilton’s starter, Boone Treadway, allowed only two hits and struck out five batters during the initial three innings.
After Bridges exited the game, the Ohio team, representing the Great Lakes region, scored five runs in the fourth inning. This decisive surge was fueled by three consecutive walks to start the inning, a series of hits, and several defensive miscues by Bayonne.
Bayonne responded in the fifth inning, scoring their first run of the game. However, their momentum was curtailed by back-to-back strikeouts from Treadway to end the inning. A second rally attempt began in the sixth inning for Bayonne, initiated by a walk and a single, which eventually led to Treadway being removed from the game. Hamilton reliever Bryson Williams quickly recorded two outs, but Bayonne managed to score a second run, narrowing the deficit to three with the tying run at the plate. The game concluded when Chase Klimkowski grounded into the final out.
Despite the outcome, Bayonne coach Justin Smith expressed immense pride in his team’s performance, noting their achievement as being in the top 6 in the country and top 12 in the world. "Small town of Bayonne and the kids really proved themselves. We couldn’t be more proud of them," Smith stated in his postgame press conference.
Treadway finished the game with eight strikeouts and three walks, allowing two earned runs over five-plus innings. Smith acknowledged that his team’s bats took too long to warm up, attributing some of the difficulty to the opposing pitcher's effectiveness. "We fought like we always tell kids from Bayonne to do, and we battled to the end," Smith added. Hamilton is scheduled to play Phenix City, Alabama, in the next round. Bayonne’s journey marked one of New Jersey’s most significant Little League World Series showings in recent history. The 2026 team was the first from the state to win the regional tournament since Holbrook Little League of Jackson in 2017.
Coach Smith encouraged his players to cherish the experience, emphasizing the rarity of competing in the tournament and the memories made. "Being here is not something that many people can say they were. Take it all in, all the people they met, the good times they had."