Tegan and Co. Captures Majors Division Crown Over Allies

One of the great things about the playoffs, in any sport, is that despite regular season records, shortcomings, missed opportunities, every team that makes the playoffs has a shot at the championship title. Every team starts 0-0 and has an opportunity to continue their winning ways of the regular season or finally gel as a team despite an under-performing season. Sure, more often than not, a powerhouse team with a winning record during the regular season tends to do well in the playoffs. But then there are those special runs that teams put together that unite families, fan bases, and communities alike. This year's North Kingstown Wickford Little League Majors Division playoffs was definitely one of those special runs by upstarts Tegan & Co. and Allies.

Slotted by their winning percentage during the regular season, Tegan & Co. secured the 4th team spot while Allies was placed in the 5th team slot out of 6 teams. This was a double elimination tournament, so teams could lose one and still be in it. The league set up a bracket system for winning teams as well as a "losers" bracket. Win after win, timely hit after timely hit, Tegan and Allies continue to defy the brackets and consistently beat teams slotted higher than them. Tegan completed a sweep of the winner's bracket, while Allies climbed their way through the loser's bracket (after dropping their first game to Tegan). And the two teams met again Monday for Game 1 of the Championships. Had Tegan won that game, they would be crowned champions. But Allies had other ideas. Allies defeated Tegan, the only team they had lost to in the playoffs, to set up the "if" game on Tuesday night.

With great pitching performances by Ben Napoli and Blake Beattie, and a monster home run from Jake Horsman, Tegan and Co. held off Allie's stars Quincy Rome, Eric Bellemore, and Gil Bianchi for a final score of 9-4 in front of a packed house at Wilson Park. Congratulations to Coaches Anthony Napoli of Tegan and Co. and Yolie Rome of Allies for giving all of us in the North Kingstown Baseball community something to cheer about this spring.