BEVERLY — Tyler Noe set the tone for his team with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning. By the time the inning ended, the Peabody West Little League all-star team had put eight runs on the board — serving notice that unbeaten Beverly East would not take the District 15 Williamsport title from them without a battle.
Peabody West held on to defeat Beverly East, 11-6, last night at Harry Ball Field, forcing a one-game, winner-take-all showdown tonight (7 p.m.) between the two clubs at the same location. The winner takes the District 15 crown and moves on to the state sectionals, which begin this weekend in Beverly.
"We came out flying when Tyler hit that home run," said Peabody West manager Dave Batchelor, his team fighting back to earn another shot at Beverly East after losing to them, 3-1, in the winner's bracket final last week.
"Beverly didn't make it easy for us, but now it's anybody's game. (Tonight) we'll see what happens."
Peabody West sent 11 batters to the plate in that first inning, knocking two baseballs out of the park. Noe's shot cleared the bleachers in left-center field, while starting pitcher Ryan McManus helped himself with a grand slam. Two more runs came home on Noe's second trip to the plate when his grounder was thrown away.
