Hagerstown falls in championship round at PONY-14 East Zone tourney

New Bedford (Mass.) scored two runs in the eighth inning to defeat Hagerstown 8-6 on Saturday in the championship round of the PONY-14 East Zone Tournament to win the title and earn a berth in the World Series.

Hagerstown, which finished 3-2 for the tournament, needed to beat New Bedford twice Saturday to win the title, but a second game wasn’t necessary.


“I’m still very happy,” Hagerstown manager John Phillips said. “These guys have been unbelievable. It’s an experience I won’t soon forget. I hate to see it come to an end, to get so close and not have it happen. But it was the ride of a lifetime. These kids learned a lot and weren’t quitters. My hats are off to New Bedford. They’re a class act, just a good team.”

Cody Hammond hit a two-run homer and Matt Malphurs had two hits and two RBIs for Hagerstown in the loss Saturday.

Hagerstown advanced to the championship round by beating Chesterfield (Va.) 8-1 in the losers’ bracket final Friday night. Zach Andrews had two hits and two RBIs and pitched three innings of scoreless relief with seven strikeouts in the victory. Hammond and Myles Gayman each had two hits.