The boys from Jackson moved a step closer to a possible Little League World Series bid in the most dramatic fashion.

Jackson Little League (Facebook)
Jackson Little League (Facebook)
loading...

With the state championship game between Jackson Little League and Somerset Hills tied 6-6 in the bottom of the sixth, Jackson's Tommy Cartnick stepped to the plate with two outs and no runners on.

Cartnick, one of Jackson's most feared hitters, had been pitched around his previous at-bat. This time, he got to play hero.

He ripped a 3-1 pitch over the center field wall for a game-winning, walk-off home run as his team advanced into the Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament.

Jackson Little League certainly did not have the easiest road to the state title. They fell to Somerset Hills in their second game, which forced them to battle out of the loser's bracket.

The team won three straight games to close out the tournament, including victories against Somerset Hills on Sunday and Monday night.

Manager Evan Glaser is extremely proud of how this team handled adversity and the very high expectations.

"This team at 10-years-old and 11-years-old made it to the state championship game both years. So they have been a quality team for a couple of years, but you know, you can never just assume you're going to get back to where you were in the past, you have to earn it," Glaser said.

The Jackson boys now take the next step of this amazing summer journey as they head to Bristol, CT for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament.

"I'm proud of these boys. They've been working really, really hard since the beginning of June preparing for this moment and I'm just honored to be a part of it."

That tournament gets underway next Tuesday, August 10. Jackson meets the winner of Maryland/D.C. on August 11 at 1 p.m.  The winner of the tournament earns a bid to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA.

 

More From Beach Radio