WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — The Mid-Atlantic regional champions from Media, Pa., may have lost their Little League World Series game on Wednesday night, but it was a hard-fought battle that left their fans standing proud.
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The Media Little League team came up short against their opponents from Needville, Texas, with a final score of 2-1.
What did not come up short: the support of the Delco faithful.
Todd Nonenman is one of the thousands who came out to cheer the boys on, and he had some words of encouragement for them.
“Just keep battling. Baseball is a tough sport. Come back next game, win the next two, and you’ll be good to go,” he said.
Parents like Eric Hellberg, cheering on their kids, say they are proud of what they saw.
“I’m Nate Hellberg’s dad. He’s probably played 65 baseball games this year. He loves baseball. He’s been playing it since he was 8. This is just quite an amazing experience for him and for us. We’re loving it,” Hellberg said.
He said his son eats, sleeps and drinks baseball, so it’s pretty sweet for him to take in this moment that’s a culmination of a lot of hard work — and he’s proud of him, win, lose or draw.
“When they’re not playing a game, they’re practicing, so it’s an everyday thing,” Hellberg said. “For a 12-year-old kid, it doesn’t get any bigger than this. We’re just really happy for him, and he’s really excited to be here.”
Taylor Dunn, one of many fans who made the trek out to Williamsport, said the Media team’s run has been pretty exciting for a lot of folks in Delaware County — but for his neighborhood in particular.
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His wife, Maggie, says it’s been pretty cool to watch the boys on TV, but nothing beats seeing the real thing in person. And it’s an inspiration to their two boys, who were with them on Wednesday.
“We are just so excited to support the whole Media team — especially our next-door neighbor, Cole Carrol,” Maggie said. “He’s a hero to this little one, him and his brother, and they’re the best kids ever, and we’re just happy they get this opportunity.”
Little League officials say more than 15,000 fans were in attendance for Wednesday’s game.
“Just a few plays here and there, and they could have won the game, so they just have to take it step by step,” said Austin Regan, adding he’s hopeful the Delaware County kids can win their upcoming elimination game on Saturday. It starts at 2 p.m.
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