The 10-year-old Maplewood-South Orange Villagers summer baseball team kept fans on the edge of the bleachers Thursday night as they came back from an 8-0 deficit in the third inning, with a nail biting rally, to win the New Providence Green League Championship by a score of 12-8.
After a day of intermittent rain, Thursday was a beautiful night for baseball at New Meadlowlands field in South Orange. Scores of cheering fans—many from other Villager teams—came out to support the boys in their quest for the New Providence Green League 10-U championship title.
With 30 teams in the league, it came down to one game against Mountainside, a team that had bested the Villagers earlier in the season.
Mountainside jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first, and then a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the second. Things were looking bleak in the third inning when Mountainside put up five more runs to take an 8-0 lead.
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But the boys put their rally caps on and started cheering, determined to turn it around. They clawed back with 2 in the bottom of the third. Down 8-2, and with
the game close to slipping away, the boys dug deep. In the bottom of the inning, they scored 8 runs to take a 10-8 lead.
Suffice it to say, the crowd went nuts.
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The team fed off the energy and kept the momentum going through the next inning, where they picked up another two runs and held Mountainside in the 6th to win it all 12-8.
The screaming was deafening as fans and parents rushed onto the field to celebrate the victory. Adding to the excitement was the 11-year-old Villager team's championship win on the adjacent field.
It was a great night for baseball in Maplewood and South Orange.
The 10 year old Villagers received two trophies Saturday for winning both their league division and the championship.
Until next year... go Villagers!
