Defending champ Freehold gains berth

Freehold Township, N.J., will attempt to become the first repeat Senior League World Series champion since 1992 after defeating Montoursville, Pa., 3-2 to win the U.S. East title at West Deptford, N.J., on Thursday evening.

Freehold Township, which went 21-1 overall during postseason play last year to win its first SLWS, rolled over teams from Massachusetts, Delaware and Connecticut by a combined 37-5 before edging Hyde Park, N.Y., 4-1 on Wednesday to advance to the championship round of this year’s 10-team, double-elimination East regional.

Freehold Township features several key players back from last year’s championship team, among them shortstop A.J. Rusbarsky, pitcher-outfielder Jason Nardi, first baseman Ryan Cuneo and outfielder Dominick Hayes.

The last team to win back-to-back SLWS titles was the Ping Tung Little League from Chinese Taipei, which won four consecutive championships from 1989 to 1992.

The U.S. East title was one of the final four regional champions to be crowned Thursday for the Senior League World Series, which begins Sunday at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor.

Urbandale, Iowa, earned its second trip to the SLWS in three years Thursday night by defeating West Branch, Mich., 6-3, in the U.S. Central final.

Urbandale, 6-0 in this year’s regional, advanced to the semifinals in 2003 before being eliminated by Central Chesterfield, Va.

The Canadian championship game, postponed by rain on Wednesday, was being played later Thursday night.

And for what is believed to be the first time in tournament history, two teams from Georgia have qualified for the 10-team event – but they’re not from the same state.

One is from the capital city of Tbilisi in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. The other team is the Habersham Little League of Clarkesville, Ga., tucked in the northeast corner of the Peach State.

The Clarkesville team won the U.S. South championship in unlikely fashion Thursday at Toccoa, Ga. Clarkesville was one of three teams in its four-team pool to finish with a 1-2 record, but advanced to the South semifinals on a tiebreaker.

Clarkesville then knocked off unbeaten Bradenton, Fla., in its semifinal and edged undefeated Cottage Hill Little League of Mobile, Ala., 5-2 on Thursday to qualify for the SLWS.

The Tbilisi team earned its trip to Bangor by winning the Europe-Middle East-Africa championship on Aug. 3.

Pearl City, Hawaii, won the U.S. West title Wednesday evening, knocking off Palmdale, Calif., 2-0 in the regional final at Portland, Ore. The Hawaiian champions won five games in pool play by a combined 65-15, then bested Phoenix, Ariz., 14-4 to reach the final.

Pearl City will try to become the second Hawaiian team to win the SLWS in three years, as Hilo, Hawaii, won the 2003 championship held in Bangor.

Pearl City joins host Bangor, Asia Pacific winner Agana, Guam, Clarkesville, Ga., and the Canadian titlist in Pool A.

U.S. Southwest champion Marksville, La., Tbilisi, Georgia, Latin America winner Santiago Veraguas, Panama, Freehold Township, N.J., and Urbandale, Iowa, will play in Pool B.

Opening ceremonies are slated for Saturday evening at Mansfield Stadium, with pool play to begin at noon Sunday when Bangor faces Canada. Five days of pool play, which involves four games each day, lead to the semifinals on Friday, Aug. 19. The championship game and all-star game will be held on Aug. 20.

All-tourney passes for the 24-game event are $25 for adults and $15 for youths under 18, while day passes are $10 for adults and $6 for youths under 18.