Yarmouth will rely on pitching and hitting when play begins Saturday in the Little League state tournament for 11- and 12-year-old baseball players at Portland’s Payson Park.

Six teams will compete in the double-elimination tournament with the winner advancing to the New England regional tournament, which will be held Aug. 5-14 in Bristol, Conn.

While Little League’s top young baseball players will have to wait until Saturday before they can continue their quest for a state championship, play starts today in Babe Ruth baseball state tournaments for 14 and 15-year-old players.

In addition to Yarmouth, which went 5-1 to win the District 6 champion, the Little League tournament will include District 1 champion Ellsworth, District 2 champion Waldo County, District 4 champion York and District 5 champion Auburn Suburban.

Tuesday night, Old Town was scheduled to play Holbrook LL in Holden for the District 3 title.

It will be Yarmouth’s first appearance in the Little League baseball state tournament since a team from the small coastal community won the title in 2006.

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“The majority of our 12 players have been playing in tournaments since they were 9 years old,” team manager Jay Tobias said. “The boys like playing together. They’re just an awesome group to coach.”

During the districts, Yarmouth received strong pitching performances from starters Bobby Murray, Luke Klenda, Joe DeFusco and closer Connor O’Donnell.

Offensively, Yarmouth has been led by Chris Romano, Murray and Grant Tobias, who compiled a collective on-base percentage of more than .700 during the District 6 tournament. Over those six tournament games, Murray hit three home runs and Tobias and C.J. Cawley, who bats sixth, belted two homers.

Babe Ruth’s double-elimination tournament for 14-year-old baseball players starts today in Fairfield. The five-team tournament includes Portland, Tri-County South (Androscoggin-Cumberland counties), Central Maine (Kennebec-Somerset counties), Augusta and Coastal South (Bath-Brunswick). The state champion will advance to New England regional July 29-Aug. 3 in Westfield, Mass.

Babe Ruth’s double-elimination tournament for 15-year-old players starts today in Westbrook. The tournament includes Sanford, Franklin County, Westbrook, Tri-County South (Androscoggin-Cumberland counties), Midcoast (Waldo-Knox-Lincoln counties). The state champion will advance to the New England regional July 28-Aug. 3 at Hippach Field in Farmington.

The Babe Ruth state tournament for 13-year-old baseball players starts Thursday in Harrison. The six-team field includes Portland, Auburn Suburban, Tri-County North (Oxford County), Southern York, Coastal South (Bath-Brunswick) and Augusta. The state champion will advance to the New England regional July 30-Aug. 4 in Norwalk, Conn.

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Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 791-6424 or at: pbetit@pressherald.com

Twitter: PaulBetitPPH

 


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