WILLIAMSPORT, HERE THEY COME: Middleboro advances to LLWS for the first time since 1994

BRISTOL, Conn. – When the summer first began, qualifying for the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, seemed like a longshot goal for the Middleboro Little League's U12 All-Stars.

That's what the team's players used to be called in mid-July, anyway. Playing the best they ever have before, the collective group likely prefers 'Team New England' at this point.

That title is a lot more fitting now, as Middleboro defeated Bangor (Maine) East, 10-1, on Thursday to capture the New England Regionals championship and a prestigious spot in the Little League World Series for the first time since 1994.

“I told the coaches in the dugout – this whole thing feels like a dream," manager Chad Gillpatrick said. "I kind of had to shake myself and pinch myself to make sure it's not. We're still alive."

Middleboro becomes the first team from Massachusetts to advance to the Little League World Series in 13 years (the last was Peabody Western in 2009) and its first game is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 17, against Tennessee at 3 p.m. on ESPN.

“It’s amazing," said pitcher Jacob Landers. "It’s just awesome to go to Williamsport after so long.”

The home run ball launched off Jayden Murphy's bat in the fifth inning will likely meet the team there before the buses depart early Friday morning. The two-run shot was rocketed, only staying in sight for a brief moment before escaping into the trees behind the left-field fence.

It handed Middleboro a convincing 7-1 lead and there's a chance it's still soaring. That was Murphy's second longball of the regionals tournament.

“I feel like that just set it off that we were going to close it (out), that we were going to be good the rest of the way,” Murphy said.

Murphy struck out nine batters in four innings on the mound, allowing one hit, one earned run and three walks. He exited in the fifth, and was replaced by the right-hander Landers, who closed out the win with five strikeouts in two innings – the game-ending one came without a swing on a pitch placed on the outside part of the plate.

And it was time to party after that one landed in Gavin Gillpatrick's catchers glove.

“I’m very proud of everybody. It was a team effort, for sure," Chad Gillpatrick said. "We got a ton of baserunners out there and timely hitting was the key. It was awesome.”