E.M. U-10 little league team wins district title

The Mustangs, a U-10 little league baseball team, came together 12 days before the start of this year’s Williamsport tournament, the premiere little league tournament in East Meadow. The Mustangs, who had to fight their way out of the loser’s bracket of the tournament, were crowned the 2011 Williamsport District 32 champions.

According to Manager Stew MacKay, this tournament is a “double elimination” tournament, meaning that if and when a team loses a game, they fall into what is known as the loser’s bracket. Once in the loser‘s bracket, a team must play more games than the team that goes straight through the tournament undefeated. This puts a strain on the players’ durability, stamina and mental toughness, and tests the strength and depth of the team’s pitching rotation. Those teams must also win every game throughout the remainder of the tournament to survive.

The Mustangs only lost to a Hicksville team on June 30, placing their hopes of a championship in serious doubt. They then played ‘a series of thrilling, gut-wrenching, heart stopping games, eliminating one team after another on their quest for the title,’ said MacKay, and finally, in a close game, defeated Levittown to win the district championship.