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Community Corner

SIBL Stars 'Three-Peat' Region Championship and Earn Trip to Virginia

The 10U (9- and 10-year-old players) of the Swansea Independent Baseball League posted three impressive victories last weekend to claim the championship of the East Zone/North Region Tournament of the Mustang League of PONY Baseball at the SIBL’s Nike Site Playing Complex.

          Buoyed by solid pitching, stingy defense and big innings offensively, the SIBL stars defeated Ballston Spa, N.Y. (12-3) on Friday; North Haven, Conn. (12-6) on Saturday; and North Haven again (9-4) on Sunday to claim the league’s third straight Mustang League regional title. Swansea will now advance to the East Zone Tournament starting Thursday in Chesterfield, Virg.

          The SIBL club will open its quest for the Zone crown Thursday at 8 p.m. against host Chesterfield. Also competing in the four-team, double-elimination tournament will be South Region champion West Raleigh, N.C., and the West Region titleist (to be determined), with contests also scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

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          Swansea’s roster in Virginia will include Cam Nadeau, Tyler Cabral, Jacob Aubin, Riley Tabicas, Riley Machado, Aiden Branco, Aidan Fyfe, Sam Watts, Aidan Ramaglia, Drew Crook, Ethan McElroy, Lucas McElroy, Manager Andy Fyfe and coaches Tim Cabral and Scott McElroy.

          In its clinching Region Tournament contest, the SIBL entry spotted North Haven a 1-0 lead after one inning before exploding for seven runs in the second frame and withstanding several threats later. Crook paced the winners’ attack with three hits and Nadeau and Lucas McElroy added two hits apiece, while Tabicas, Watts and Ethan McElroy split the pitching duties.

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          In its first triumph over North Haven, Swansea rallied from a 4-2 deficit after three innings to plate five runs in the fourth stanza and pulled away. Crook, Nadeau and Lucas McElroy all finished with three hits for the winners and Aubin and Ethan McElroy contributed two hits apiece, while Cabral, Watts and Tabicas shared the mound chores.

          The SIBL squad wasted little time in taking control of its opener opposite Ballston Spa, erupting for seven runs in the top of the first inning and never looking back. Branco sparked the victors with three hits, including a mammoth two-run home run, while Nadeau and Cabral also slammed three hits and Lucas McElroy closed with two safeties.

          Tabicas, Watts and Ethan McElroy all pitched in a winning cause.

          In other tournament games, North Haven whipped Capital District of Albany, N.Y. (16-1), and Ballston Spa (18-7), while Ballston Spa eliminated Capital District (5-4).

          According to Fyfe, SIBL all-star teams have now won 19 PONY Baseball Region-level tournaments in four different age classifications since 1982, including the Mustang League Region Tournament a total of 11 times.

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