Pirates win Little League championship

THOMASTON — The Steve Blass Northwest Connecticut Pirates defeated the Tri-Town Braves 11-1 in the Northwest District 6 Majors League Championship game June 14.

The Pirates, made up of players aged 10 to 12 from the six Region One towns and Norfolk, won by run rule with a 10-point lead after five innings, a fitting end to a dominant season. The 2024 champs did not commit a single error in the game.

Brody Ohler pitched from start to finish and earned the W with a total of 10 strikeouts. He let up just two hits and one run, all in the first inning. A radar, operated by 11-year-old spectator Jeffrey, clocked Ohler’s fast ball at 62 MPH.

Brody Ohler pitched the full game for the Pirates.Riley Klein

The Pirates finished the regular season with a record of 10-2 and earned the top seed in the league tournament. They defeated Torrington Maroon in the semis 13-2 and Tri-Town beat cross-town counterparts the Tri-Town Red Sox 5-4 to advance to the title game.

When the Pirates and Braves last met in the regular season, the Tri-Town Braves, made up of players from Litchfield, Warren, Morris, and Goshen, defeated the Pirates 6-3. Under the lights at Reeves Field in Thomaston for the championship, the Braves could not repeat their prior success against the Pirates’ defense and ended the season as runners up.

The game went on despite heavy rain at start time Friday night. “We’ll have a nice shower,” said the umpire as he walked out onto the field at 8:30 p.m.

By the time the rain let up in the third inning, the Pirates had climbed to a 7-1 lead. They added three more runs in the fourth inning to go up 10-1.

With two on in the bottom of the fifth, Ohler launched a deep double and brought home Thomas Nichols. With the lead at 10 runs, the game ended by run rule and the Pirates piled up in the infield.

Will Nichols caught coach Tom Downey with an ice bath after the game.Riley Klein

“Everything worked out great, even in the rain. Great season,” said Coach Tom Downey after the win.

Brody Ohler went 3-for-3 at bat with an RBI. Greyson Brooks, Whitlow Cheney, Ronin Hinman, J.T. Farr, and Will Nichols logged one RBI apiece.

The Pirates advanced to the greater District 6 Majors tournament to play the top teams in Litchfield County. They’ll take on Avon at Sperry Park Sunday, June 23. Region One last won the county district title in 1984.

The Pirates piled on Brody Ohler after hitting the walk-off RBI that won them the title.Riley Klein