Darien Little League Team Falls To Bayonne In Metro Region Thriller

DARIEN, CT — The magical summer for the Darien Little League team came to an end on Friday night in Bristol after a late-game comeback from Bayonne Central.

Darien entered the bottom of the fifth clinging to a 6-4 lead, but the New Jersey state champions rallied with four runs to go ahead for good.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Leandro Anaya drew a walk, and Gabe Garcia followed up with a single for Bayonne. Darien intentionally walked Bayonne power hitter, Mason Rincon, for the third time of the night to load the bases.

Owen Feliz ended up making Darien pay.

Feliz ripped a double to left field to tie the game at six. Jett Bridges and Chase Klimkowski each singled in two runs to give Bayonne an 8-6 lead.

Rincon, who came on to pitch in the third inning, retired all 12 batters he faced, striking out eight, to close the game.

Feliz went 2-for-5 on the night with 5 RBI.

Darien had jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first after an RBI triple of Hugh Butler, and RBI singles from Alex Abelson, Jack Houlihan and Roscoe Hurty.

Bayonne responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first on a Feliz double.

In the top of the third, Chase Sutter launched a two-run homer to give Darien a 6-2 lead, but Bayonne responded immediately in the bottom half with two runs of their own.

Sutter started for Darien, struck out nine, and gave up four runs over 3.1 innings, but he was removed after reaching his pitch limit. Hurty closed out the fourth and recorded an out in the fifth before he was relieved by Rex Paquette.

Bayonne now heads to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., which begins on Aug. 19.