SCARBOROUGH- When the Scarborough 12-year-old Little League all-star team played its final game at the New England Regional tournament last Wednesday, it was the end of a short but truly dominant era.
The group of Scarborough ballplayers has been a terror the past three summers in a way no group of Maine boys have been before, winning the 10-, 11-, and, this year, 12-year-old Little League state baseball championships, the first time in Maine history the same group won all three.
The clean sweep was done in dominating style, as Scarborough went 27-3 on their way to the three titles, including mercy-rule wins in each of the state championship games.
This year, the team beat Dirigo 12-1 in the state final to advance to the New England Regionals in Bristol, Conn., where a trip to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., was on the line.
“It’s tremendous credit to the 12 boys on my team that we were able to go this far,” Neal Pratt, the team’s manager, said. “We don’t rely on one or two arms pitching and one or two bats hitting. The special thing about this team is we have 12 boys that each have contributed at various points in very significant ways.
“It’s that team-first approach that I believe has led to our success, even in the face of some teams that were probably equally as talented as we are.”
The regionals proved to be a tougher test than the state competition.
Scarborough opened with a 5-4, extra innings loss to Massachusetts Aug. 4, and the next day ran into a hot pitcher in Rhode Island starter Jarrad Grossguth, who threw a no-hitter to drop the Maine champions to 0-2.
Playing its third game in as many days, Scarborough then fell 15-2 to the eventual regional champions from Fairfield, Conn., eliminating them from contention.
After making just one error in its first two games, Scarborough was uncharacteristically sloppy in the Connecticut game, committing seven errors that led to 12 unearned runs. That wasn’t the memory Pratt wanted his kids to leave Bristol with, and he challenged them to go into their last game against New Hampshire with that mentality.
“Coming off of that it was very important to us as a matter of pride to go out on a high note and make sure that we represented what we’ve done and been for three years,” Pratt said. “I challenged them as a group to make that their goal, and to show ourselves and everybody else what we are about as a team.”
Scarborough took its manager’s words to heart, using three fifth-inning runs and a combined shutout from Jared Brooks and Zoltan Panyi to go out with a 3-0 victory. After three years of domination, it felt good to go out winners.
“I think it just showed that we could rebound and come back,” said Morgan Pratt, Neal’s son and the team’s shortstop. “I think it was one of the best all-around games we played all season. It was great to be able to play well in our last game.”
Making the win even more special, the game against New Hampshire was shown live on regional sports television network NESN, home of the Boston Red Sox.
“I’ve heard from a number of the boys that they had the chance to watch the DVR replay, and they’re words are, ‘How cool is that,’” Pratt said. “It’s like they feel they’re watching a Red Sox game but they see their own faces on there.
“I think it’s tremendously meaningful, and I don’t think they appreciate it yet. But I will say that with this group of boys, they aren’t at all entitlement mentality. They really do appreciate it as much as a 12-year-old mind can appreciate it.”
The manager’s son proved him correct.
“It was a great, once-in-a-life-time experience,” Morgan said of the chance to play at the regional tournament. “I think we all just felt really lucky knowing that we are some of the few kids who get to have that experience.”
And while the team may not have walked away with the title and the resulting dream trip to Williamsport, the manager said looking back that wasn’t what would really matter.
“Wins and losses count, and we all like to win, but that fades,” Pratt said. “What doesn’t fade is the lessons and the memories that these boys have experienced over these three years.
“I couldn’t be more proud of them if they went undefeated and went to Williamsport and won there. The pride I have in them could not be increased on iota.”
Scarborough’s 12-year-old Little League all-star team won the state championship this year. Pictured are, front row, from left, Nick Anderson, Glade Fredenburg, Morgan Pratt, Zach DeQuattro, Owen Garrard, Ogden Timpson, Alex Dobecki, and Justin Tanguay. Back row, Assistant Coach Keith Goodwin, Jared Brooks, Zoltan Panyi, Head Coach Neal Pratt, Andrew Goodwin, Connor Kelly, and Assistant Coach Adam Brooks.
Scarborough players Zoltan Panyi, left, and Morgan Pratt jump for joy after beating Dirigo 12-1 to win the 12-year-old Little League Maine state tournament, their third consecutive Maine state title.
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