Bayonne, New Jersey, has earned its first-ever berth in the Little League World Series after staging an impressive 8-6 comeback victory against Darien, Connecticut, in the Metro regional championship game. The thrilling contest, played in Bristol, Connecticut, saw Bayonne overcome a significant early deficit to secure the win.
Darien established a commanding 4-0 lead in the first inning with RBIs from left fielder Alex Abelson, designated hitter Jack Houlihan, and Roscoe Hurty, capitalizing on an RBI triple by catcher Hugh Butler. This marked the first time the previously undefeated Bayonne team had allowed more than two runs in the tournament.
Bayonne quickly responded in the bottom of the first inning, with second baseman Owen Feliz driving in two runs on an RBI double. Darien's pitcher, Chase Sutter, then delivered a strong performance, striking out six consecutive batters and hitting a two-run homer in the third inning that extended Darien's lead to 6-2.
Despite the deficit, Bayonne began to chip away at Darien's lead. After Sutter reached his pitch count limit and exited the game, and with Darien intentionally walking Mason Rincon multiple times, Bayonne managed to load the bases in the fifth inning. Feliz then hit a warning-track double, tying the game at 6-6.
Bayonne took the lead for good when Jett Bridges hit a game-changing RBI gap single off reliever Rex Paquette. Chase Klimkowski added another run with a fly ball that dropped into right field, sealing the 8-6 victory. Rincon, who also contributed significantly on defense with nine strikeouts, closed out the game in the sixth inning.
Bayonne's victory over Darien avenges their earlier 8-2 loss to the Connecticut team in the opening round of the double-elimination tournament. The team will now advance to the Little League World Series, with their opening-round game scheduled against Bridgewater, Massachusetts, on Wednesday at 7 p.m. on ESPN.