July 23, 2205
In a thrilling display of determination, teamwork and heart, the Hingham Little League 11-year-old District team etched its name into history books on Sunday, July 20th, becoming the first team in Hingham Little League history to win a 12 and under Massachusetts State Championship.
After a rocky start to their District Tournament with a 6-1 loss to Cohasset, Hingham refused to back down. Instead, they rallied together, going on an incredible 11-game winning streak that carried them through Districts, Sectionals and, ultimately, a Championship win in the State Finals.
“This team never gave up,” said head coach Matt Elio. “That first loss could’ve broken their confidence; instead, it lit a fire. Every player stepped up, game after game. They believed in each other, and they made Hingham proud.”
After losing to Cohasset in game one of District Pool play, Hingham had to win their remaining four games to advance out of pool play. Hingham bounced back with a 10-2 win against Scituate, followed with a 4-1 win vs. Norwell, a 10-1 win against Whitman, and finished pool play with a 10-0 win against East Braintree.
Hingham hosted Abington in the District Semifinals game in which the bats came alive and Hingham won 21-0 in 3 innings to earn a date in the District Finals against rival Milton National. Hingham beat Milton National 6-1 to secure the District Championship.
Hingham advanced to the Section 2 Championship game with an undefeated 2-0 record in sectional pool play with wins over Bridgewater (12-2) and Swansea (4-2). Hingham hosted the Section 2 Championship at Carlson Field. In what was an epic pitchers duel with the game tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Hingham broke it open when the Bridgewater ace was pitch-counted out of the game. Hingham scored 10 runs in the inning to secure the Section 2 Title and punch their ticket to the State Final Four Championship in Danvers.
Hingham played Holden, a perennial Little League powerhouse in the State Semifinal. In yet another pitchers duel, Hingham grinded out a 2-1 win and advanced to the State Championship game where they would face Parkway, who beat Beverly 10-0 in their Semifinal game.
The State Championship game, played in Danvers on Sunday, July 20th, saw Hingham take an early lead and hold on through tense late innings for a 7-4 victory. Hingham’s pitching and defense got them out of three bases loaded situations. After the final out, Hingham players stormed the field in celebration of clinching the Team Massachusetts title.
Throughout the postseason run, Hingham showcased a potent combination of lights-out-pitching from Patrick Kirk, Matthew Collard, Clark Sigovitch, and George Tzanetakos, clutch hitting from Max Labrie, Will Whitcher, Hugh Hurstak, William Bowes, Declan Greenman and Connor Khtikian, and incredible defense from Brennan Elio, Henry Wenstrom, and Sean Harold.
“I’m just so happy for the boys,” said Hingham Head Coach Matt Elio. “This team has worked so hard over the past month, and not only have they showed up and played great baseball, but the sportsmanship, growth and resilience they’ve demonstrated throughout their journey has been special to watch.”
The key to Hingham’s success in the post season was incredible pitching and defense. After the loss to Cohasset, the team only allowed 15 runs in 11 games and going into the State Championship game, the team made only 1 error in 10 games.
With the title win, Hingham now advances to the prestigious Eastern Regional Tournament, hosted by Beverly Little League where they will compete against 11 other State Champions from across the Northeast – spanning from Washington, D.C., to Maine. Hingham opens up the Eastern Regional against the Rhode Island State Champion on Monday, July 28th.
Hingham is managed by Matt Elio, Jon Cignetti and Dave Khtikian.