Nail-Biter Ends with Close Loss for Little Leaguers

It was oh-so-close. With the bases loaded and down by one run in the bottom of the sixth inning, a bouncing grounder off the bat of Hamilton-Wenham Little League Williamsport player Aiden Heney looked like it may have been enough to tie up the game.

But the ball struck baserunner Philip Durgin, who was called out in Tuesday night’s winners bracket final of the District 15 tournament at Harry Ball Field in Beverly.

It was a thrilling – albeit disappointing end – to a tense final two innings after the Generals were down 6-2 to start the fifth inning and staged a tenacious comeback.

“That was a great Little League baseball game,” Beverly manager Jim Cross told the Salem News, which called it “the most exciting District 15 Little League all-star game played this summer.”

The call that ended the game did not cost the Generals the win, Hamilton-Wenham coach Bill Peach told the Salem News. He said the team had missed opportunities earlier in the game.

The loss now puts Hamilton-Wenham into the loser’s bracket of the District 15 tournament. The team plays on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Harry Ball Field in Beverly against the winner of Wednesday night’s Amesbury versus Danvers American game.

Beverly now advances to the Friday final at 7:30 p.m. in Beverly.