Some good news from Newton youth baseball: the 15-year-old Babe Ruth All-Stars won the District 3 tournament, hosted at Albemarle Field, this past weekend.

The participants were Newton, Arlington, Medford and Revere. After an opening 5-3 win over Revere Friday, the Newton squad qualified for the championship game with Saturday’s 8-4 defeat of Medford (Revere had been eliminated by Arlington earlier that day).

On Sunday, Arlington won a tight 7-5 game, forcing a second championship game in this double-elimination tournament. Monday’s game was suspended in the 4th with Arlington winning 4-3, but after play resumed Tuesday at the new Newton North High field, the local boys took the game back for a 9-4 win. The big blow was a bases-loaded 3-run double by Mike Barbieri in the 6th, and Philip Barnett pitched 4 shutout innings for the win (Evan Nahabedian started the game and also pitched well despite the four runs).

Congrats team! Next stop, the EMass State Tournament in Saugus starting July 19. (Disclosure- my son is on the team, so this is hardly unbiased reporting).

Standing, L-R:
Elliot Loew, Coach; Alex Haslam, OF; Will Slayne, OF/P; Kane Medina, IF/OF; Josh O’Connell, IF/OF; Michael Butera, 3B; Mike Barbieri, OF; Philip Barnett, P/iB; Evan Nahabedian, P; Jim Sylvia, Coach
Kneeling, L-R:
Will Sylvia, IF; Holden Greene, P/1B; Cam Meyer, SS; Justin Lee, C; Christian Quigley, P/OF
(Not pictured: Mike Gately, C; Chris Quigley, Coach)