Dominik Mombeleur struck out 14 and allowed only two hits, leading Bridgewater, Massachusetts, to an 8-0 win over Gray-New Gloucester/Raymond in the championship game of the Little League Baseball New England Region tournament Thursday night in Bristol, Connecticut.
Gray-New Gloucester/Raymond was trying to reach the World Series for the second time in four years, but the Maine champs were stymied by Mombeleur for the second time in the regional. The Massachusetts pitcher recorded 11 strikeouts in a 7-0 win last Saturday — the opening day of the regional.
Wes Connick’s ground-ball single to left field with two outs in the first inning and Beau Amergian’s leadoff single to right in the sixth were the only hits for Gray-New Gloucester/Raymond. Mombeleur got a popup back to the mound to end the first inning, then struck out the next 10 batters before he walked Connick with one out in the fifth.
Monbeleur also reached safely in all three of his plate appearances and scored the game’s first run after a two-out single in the bottom of the first.
Connick allowed two more runs in the second inning on an RBI single by Calvin McGough and an error. In the third, a bases-loaded triple by Anthony Sullivan made it 6-0.
Monbeleur reached the 85-pitch limit while facing Amergian in the sixth. RJ Zackrison retired the final three batters to close out the victory.
A highlight for Gray-New Gloucester/Raymond was a double play turned by center fielder Pierce McCarthy in the second inning. With the bases loaded, McCarthy caught a line drive and made a perfect throw to catcher Elliott Szczesniak, who tagged out McGough.