Cape/Georgetown Juniors advance to regional championship

After losing the second game of the tournament, the Cape/Georgetown Junior All-Stars have battled all the way back and will now play in the championship round of the Eastern Regional at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 8, in Freehold, N.J.

Cape/Georgetown has to beat Pennsylvania twice to claim the title and advance to the Junior League World Series in Taylor, Mich.

The latest triumph came Aug. 7, when the squad defeated the New Jersey team from Ridgewood Little League 6-3.

Cape/Georgetown jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the first inning. Josh Reinhold singled to open the game. He was knocked home on a double from Kye Wells. After a single and walk loaded the bases, Jonathan Stokley worked a walk to force home a run. 

Stokley was back at it in the third inning, hitting a sac fly to score Wells from third base for a 3-1 lead. Later in the inning, New Jersey walked home another run and then hit a batter to force yet another run across home plate. 

Nick Cox got into the scoring action in the sixth inning, connecting for a single to score Wells to pad the lead at 6-1.

New Jersey would add two in the bottom of the sixth, but would not get any closer. 

Wells finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. Stokley was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk. Cox was 2-for-2 with an RBI, a run scored and two walks. 

Cape/Georgetown combined for 10 hits and eight walks. 

Cox pitched 5.1 innings, allowing one run on six hits with one strikeout, four walks and one hit by pitch. Timmy Hitchcock tossed two-thirds of an inning in relief, and Wells closed it out with a scoreless seventh inning. 

After beating Connecticut 15-0 in the first game of the tournament, Cape/Georgetown dropped a tight 6-5 game to Maryland in the second round. Since then, the squad has strung together five straight wins in the loser’s bracket to earn a spot in the championship round. 

“It’s been a roller coaster,” said manager Zac Crouch. “But so far it has worked out. It’s been fun, but the kids have really wanted it. They had to fight to get here, and it’s been a total team effort every single day. It’s been exhausting and exciting. From hitting, pitching, pinch running and leadership, it’s been a phenomenal team effort. But we’re taking one game at a time, and it’s going to be a dog fight with Pennsylvania.”

Dan Cook contributed to this report.