Bucks County Little League team is one win from World Series

⚾The Council Rock Newtown Little League team is the Pennsylvania State Champion

⚾A win on Friday puts them in the Little League World Series

⚾A Newtown team has not been to the World Series in nearly 20 years

A summer long journey has a team from Bucks County just one win away from the Little League World Series with a decisive win on Tuesday over a team from Maryland.

The Council Rock Newtown Little League 12-and-under team team had 14 hits in their 11-1 "run restricted" win over a team from Salisbury, Maryland in the Mid-Atlantic Region Tournament.

The Maryland team has one more chance to advance as they are scheduled to take on a team from Washington on Thursday afternoon. The winner plays Council Rock on Friday afternoon in a game to be broadcast by ESPN.

The victorious team moves onto the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. It would be Council Rock's first trip in nearly 20 years, according to coach Brad Hamilton.

A summer-long journey

Hamilton told PALivingNews.com that the journey started with districts in June. The team advanced to sectionals and then the states in which were undefeated on their way to capturing the state championship.

Most of the team has been playing together for five years. Hamilton has coached the boys, including his 12-year-old son, the whole time.

"We have a group of boys that have played since they've been around seven, played together at Newtown Little League, Hamilton said. "Every year it's slightly different, but the core has been the same since they've been six and seven years old."

Hamilton said the team is "super excited" but at the same time has kept their collective cool.

"They've done a really good job of just being 12 year old boys playing baseball when it's time and having fun when it's time. And I think the biggest thing is they kind of know the distinction which is even better," Hamilton said.

Winning involves the family

Playing at this level with travel and extra expenses becomes a real family affair but it fits into Hamilton's belief that winning is a byproduct of what parents put into the team. When the parents all leaned in to his philosophy the team started winning.

"I told the parents at eight or nine 'I've been doing youth sports for a long time. You can either make this a really successful childhood for them, or you can break this group up. And I said, look out in the field. They're running around. They're nine years old. They love each other. It's the parents that usually get involved. And when it happens, and we're not all pulling the same way, it creates chaos," Hamilton said.

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