Seacoast 9s Win Again!

The Seacoast Cal Ripken 9s, an all-star team of local 9-year-old boys, won its first two games over the weekend at the Cal Ripken New England Regional Tournament in Hebron, Conn. to advance to the winner's bracket against Berwick, Maine on Tuesday.

Seacoast and Berwick are the only remaining unbeaten teams. If Seacoast wins on Tuesday, it will advance to the final. The team, comprised of Hampton, North Hampton and Hampton Falls students, .

On Saturday, Seacoast handily beat host team Hebron by a 28-1 score in four innings. Jake Elbeery pitched to start, with Joe Allen coming in to relieve him and James O'Hara closing out the game. But it was truly a team effort, with the entire team either getting a hit, getting on base or scoring a run.

On Sunday, Seacoast had an unbelievable comeback in the last inning against Marlborough, Mass. Down 4-1, they rallied to take a 5-4 lead, but Marlborough tied it 5-5 in the bottom of the inning, sending the game into extra innings. After a scoreless seventh, Seacoast scored one run in the top of the 8th to make it 6-5, and held on for the win.

Michael Michaud twice got up with men on base to deliver the go-ahead runs in the sixth and to win the game in the eighth. Jake Bullard pitched to start all six innings, with Jake Elbeery relieving him in the seventh inning to finish the game out.

Seacoast plays South Berwick on Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. at Hebron's Burnt Hill Park. If they win, they'll play for the New England Championship on Thursday night.

Thanks to readers Mark Simone, Margaret Allen and Kelly Britton for the updates. And go team!