Naamans’ bid to become Delaware’s third team to reach baseball’s Little League World Series fell short Aug. 14.
East Side Little League of West Chester, Pennsylvania, downed Naamans 3-1 in the title game of the Mid-Atlantic Regionals at the A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center in Bristol, Connecticut.
Naamans, situated along Concord Pike north of Wilmington, and East Side are located just 13 miles apart.
Down 3-0, Naamans scored in the second inning when Charles Puit singled and came home on Taj Amobi’s double.
Pitcher Brady Winklespecht gave up the three first-inning runs but pitched a 5-hitter and struck out seven for Naamans.
The game was decided on the video review of a close out call at first base when Naamans had two runners on base.
East Side qualified for the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The only Delaware teams to get there were from Naamans in 2003 and Newark National in 2013.
The Mid-Atlantic champion will be one of 10 U.S. teams joining 10 other international qualifiers at the World Series from Aug. 19-30.
Naamans reached the Mid-Atlantic title game after losing to West Chester 8-1 Aug. 9 but beating Maryland champ Berlin 12-4 on Aug. 10 and Washington, DC, champ Capitol Hill 7-2 on Aug. 13.
State champ Naamans first won the District II (northern New Castle County) title by beating Brandywine on July 16.
At the state tournament, Naamans prevailed Aug. 1 with a 3-2 triumph over Milton at Passwaters Park in Bridgeville. Naamans had beaten three-time defending champ MOT and Milton to reach the title game.
It was Naamans’ sixth state championship at the Major Little League level since competition debuted in 1957, the others coming in 1976, 1978, 2003, 2006 and 2022.
Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Naamans loses close game in bid for Little League World Series berth