Canton Junior League repeats as state champs
By Canton CitizenOn Saturday, July 22, the Canton Junior League baseball team won the Massachusetts Junior League state championship by defeating Whitman in a best-of-three series at Horgan Field in Oxford. Canton got to the championship by defeating Gloucester in extra innings in the sectional finals earlier in the week, sending Canton to the state championship for the second consecutive year.
In the first game, Canton got an incredible 95-pitch effort from Matt Connolly on the mound and a long homerun by Cam Sanchez to give the hometown team the 4-2 win. After trailing 6-2 early in the second game, Canton rallied for the come-from-behind win behind strong pitching from Chris Rota and Steven Burbank and timely hitting throughout the lineup in the critical three-run sixth inning, punctuated by a two-run single by Nate Quan to drive in the tying and go-ahead runs.
Canton will now move on to play in the Eastern Regional Championship in Freehold, New Jersey, where they will face the Maine state champion on August 4. Canton will be playing in its second consecutive Eastern Regional Championship and third in the last 10 years. The team features three returning players from last season’s state championship team and will be looking to earn a berth in the national championship in Taylor, Michigan.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=36754