Lower Gwynedd Little League 12-Year-Old Team Wins District 22 Tournament

It’s never easy to win a sectional tournament in Little League baseball.  The 12-year-old team from Lower Gwynedd had an exceptionally difficult path to glory.

Lower Gwynedd recently participated in the District 22 Tournament.  The local Little Leaguers not only had to overcome stiff competition, but also had to fight their way out of the losers’ bracket after an early loss in the tournament. 

President Jay Gelman said his players put together a run which will be long remembered by local baseball fans.

“We had to battle our way,” Gelman said. “We were seeded first in our pool, but we lost our first game in the double elimination round. We had to win six straight games and had to beat Whitemarsh two nights in a row to win the title. It usually doesn’t happen like that because it can be very difficult on the pitching.”

The six-game winning streak not only gave Lower Gwynedd a district crown, but also gave the team a berth in the sectionals. Lower Gwynedd will be one of four teams participating in the sectional competition. The winner moves on to play in the state tournament.  The next step would be the regional competition, followed by the national spotlight of the Little League World Series.

The players on the Lower Gwynedd 12-year-old team have been playing together for several years. It is a credit to the players, coaches and league, who created an atmosphere that encouraged the players to stay with the league. The result is a strong team bond, which was a factor in bringing home the district crown.

“Most of these kids have played together since age 8,” said Gelman.  “The team has pretty much stayed intact. They know each other pretty well, and they’re a pretty tight team.”

Each year, the District 22 Tournament is played at a different site.  This happened to be the year that Lower Gwynedd served as the host, so the local Little Leaguers got the chance to win the championship on their .

"We were hosting this year,” Gelman said. “It’s usually played at a neutral field, but we were the actual hosts. It was quite a feat to be able to win it in front of our home fans. We had a very large crowd, and it was a really great thing for the community. Everyone was really happy about the whole tournament.”

Gelman is aware of the difficult path that lies ahead for his team. The other district champions in the sectional tournament will be the toughest teams the Lower Gwynedd squad will face this season.  However, Gelman is looking forward to the opportunity for his players to compete in the sectionals.

“Lower Gwynedd has only won sectionals one time,” said Gelman.  That was in 2006. We did pretty well in states, but we didn’t advance.  We’ve had some success, but this would be quite a feat to advance next because the three teams that we are playing are very good.”

The Lower Gwynedd Little Leaguers will no doubt face difficult challenges and plenty of adversity as they go forward, but the District 22 champs have already proven they can overcome the odds and will likely be ready for anything that lies ahead.