File:Little League 2021 Brunswick Little League Tournament of Champions win from The Frederick News-Post, June 22, 2021.jpg

Summary

Murphy's one-hitter leads Brunswick to Little League Tournament of Champions win By John Cannon for the Frederick News-Post, June 22, 2021

BRUNSWICK — For the second time in the past week, Dillon Murphy was pitching in a high-stakes Little League Baseball game. And once again, he came through for Brunswick Little League’s Orioles. Murphy fired a one-hitter to help the Orioles beat Thurmont Little League’s Brewers 5-1 in the championship game of the Gregg Quedeweit Memorial District 2 Little League Tournament of Champions at Brunswick Little League on Monday. “He threw in our league championship. It was winner take all,” Brunswick manager Steve Dinges said of Murphy. “We told him, these are moments that we drafted you for.” After Murphy induced a groundout to the second baseman for the game’s final out, the Orioles were presented with the large white, blue-trimmed T.O.C. championship banner. Players carried the flag to right field, where they showed it to Brunswick spectators sitting behind the fence. “It feels good, especially when you win and your team does very well behind you,” Murphy said. True enough. Murphy, a 12-year-old right-hander, pitches to contact and had just three strikeouts on Monday. He was more than happy to let his fielders make plays, which they consistently did. That approach helped keep his pitch count down — he only needed 57 pitches to go the distance against the Brewers. Murphy drew praise from his catcher, Jared Ricketts, who nonetheless did have one request. “He could’ve thrown more strikes that didn’t hit the ground,” Ricketts said. Standing nearby, Murphy said, “I’m making it tough on you. That’s really it.” Ricketts helped make things a little easier on Murphy, providing an extra insurance run by smacking a solo homer over the fence in left-center to give the Orioles a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning. Ricketts said it was his first homer in a game this season. “It hit me near the hands, and I didn’t think it was a home run,” he said. Not bad for a 10-year-old who was batting in the No. 9 spot. Dinges said all 11 of his players put the ball in play, one of the reasons the Orioles (16-2) went on a tear after getting off to a 2-2 start this season. “When we first came together at the beginning of the year, we had a lot of nervous kids, we had five new kids on this team,” Dinges said. “And from Day One to here, they made great strides, they’re confident, their self-esteem is up, and that’s part of Little League Baseball.” Cole Howington had an RBI single in the Orioles’ two-run first inning, and Grant Wenner had an RBI single in the second inning. Cole Hoffman added a sac fly in the fifth. While the Orioles will lose 12-year-olds like Murphy, they’ll return younger players such as Ricketts. “I wish they could stay around for another year, but they can’t,” Ricketts said. “I hope they have a good time in Juniors.” With just three 12-year-olds on their roster, the Brewers will return a slew of players. And while they came up short on Monday, they saw positives. “They put up 44 runs against the last two teams they played, and to hold them to only five runs ...” said Brewers manager Chris Morlan. “We used up all of our primary pitchers to get here, so to be able to do what we did tonight, with guys who didn’t pitch,” said Morlan, gesturing toward Nathan Morlan, who threw the final five innings. “He pitched more tonight than he has all season, and for him to hold these guys to just two runs while he was up there, a huge accomplishment for a kid that’s coming back next year for me.” The Brewers scored their lone run in the third inning, when Justin Salonis got hit by a pitch and scored on Greyson Strobel’s grounder, which led to an error. Later that inning, Nathan Morlan had the Brewers’ lone hit, an infield single. Brewers (14-5) batters routinely put the ball in play, though. “Every inning we were putting the ball in play, it just seemed to be wherever the defense was standing, unfortunately,” Morlan said. “Sometimes that’s how it goes. But I can’t be any prouder.