Little League: Powerhouse NJ team, with title in grasp, says no thanks

Sherlon Christie | Asbury Park Press

There will be no New Jersey Little League District 19 championship game this year in the 12-year-old division because of a unique set of circumstances, according to Little League District 19 Administrator Bud Coates.

The situation involves Two River East, the winner’s bracket team, and Middletown, the loser’s bracket team, and both squads were to play at 8 p.m. Thursday at Freehold Township Little League in what was supposed to be the 2018 District 19 Little League Championship game.

But that game and a potential “if necessary” championship game Friday were not played.

“Tuesday morning (July 3), I had communication with the president of Two River Little League, Chuck Jones, and he informed me that most of the kids, which was nine of the 12 players, wouldn’t be playing in the upcoming Section 3 tournament, if Two River East won it, because they were going to Cooperstown, New York,” Coates said.

With that stunning revelation, Two River East, which draws from the towns of Rumson, Fair Haven, Little Silver, Shrewsbury and Red Bank, and District 19 had to come up with a solution to what was a potential problem,.

Two River East was undefeated in the District 19 tournament at 4-0 through games played as of Monday, and the squad had outscored its opponents 25-3 during those four games.

That 4-0 winning streak in the District 19 Tournament included a 3-1 win over Middletown in the winner’s bracket’s final on June 30.

“If Two River East and Middletown did play the championship game and Two River East had won, District 19 would not have a representative in the Section 3 Tournament because Middletown would be ineligible because that team would have had two losses already in a double-elimination tournament."

So, was a contingency plan discussed?

Yes. But the odds weren’t in Two River East’s favor.

“He (Chuck Jones) asked me what’s the best thing to do in this situation,” Coates said. “And I told Chuck Jones to try to do some speedy work and get a replacement team together. Apparently, Two River East couldn’t do that in one day.”

So, the end result is that Two River East officially forfeited the District 19 championship to Middletown, and now Middletown will represent District 19 in the upcoming New Jersey Little League Section 3 Tournament, which starts July 14 at Ocean Township Little League.

WATCH: Lincroft Little League battle back in late innings Lincroft scored 2 runs in the 4th and added on 3 runs in the 5th to take control and eventually win, 8-4, over Freehold

Staff Writer Sherlon Christie: schristie@gannettnj.com

Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sherlonapp

Follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sherlonapp