Chester County’s Glenmoore Eagle team advances to Little League World Series
With the squad from Uwchlan Twp. heading to Williamsport, it marks three consecutive years a Philly area team has represented the Mid-Atlantic Region.
The Glenmoore Eagle Little League team, from Uwchlan Township, has punched its ticket to Williamsport, and will represent Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic Region in the 2025 Little League World Series.
With a spot to Williamsport on the line, the Chester County team defeated Maryland’s Germantown Little League team, 7-1, on Friday in the Mid-Atlantic regional final. They are the third consecutive Philly area team to come out of the Mid-Atlantic Region, following teams from Council Rock Newtown (2024) and Media (2023).
The two Mid-Atlantic teams were already quite familiar with each other, with Glenmoore handing Maryland an early loss, defeating the team, 7-2, led by a strong performance at the plate from Nick Bongiorni who recorded three doubles.
Although Friday’s game was shaping up to be slightly more competitive than their first matchup, the result was still the same. After a slow start earlier in the week, falling behind 7-0, Maryland came out the gate swinging Friday. Maddox Schiano hit a triple in the second at-bat of the game, and Dylan Holahan followed with an RBI single to put Maryland up 1-0.
Unfortunately for Maryland, the lead didn’t last long — and they’d never get it back. Marek Kalavik started the day with a solid single to center field. Power hitter Aiden Mercer, who hit a home run in the teams’ first meeting, was walked. And Bongiorni found more success in the final with a crucial RBI single to get the scoring started for the Pa. team, who took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the frame.
Maryland’s struggles continued in the third inning, when Glenmoore Eagle’s Justin Shaw hit a pop up to Maryland pitcher Ben Murphy. Murphy missed the ball, leading to Mercer scoring on the error. Ethan Herbein, the team’s starting pitcher, added an RBI single to make it a three-run game.
In the fifth inning, Mercer replaced Herbein on the mound and closed out the game. Offensively, Glenmoore was led by Mercer’s two runs and Shaw’s two singles, which included an RBI.
“It’s great,” a speechless Mercer said on the ESPN broadcast after the game. “I don’t know how to explain it. It’s awesome.”
And what is he looking forward to most about Williamsport?
“Representing the Mid-Atlantic, that’s all.”
The Little League World Series is set to begin on Aug. 13 with the United States and International finals on Aug. 23, and the championship game scheduled for August 24.
The Glenmoore Eagle team, which will look to make it further than Council Rock Newtown (third round) and Media (second round), is scheduled to open play on Thursday, Aug. 14, against Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the Midwest Regional winners.