While they may live in three different towns, all 12 members of this year’s Deep River-Chester-Essex (DR-C-E) 12-U All-Stars Little League Majors baseball team came together to put together a strong summer season in District 9 this year. Head Coach Beth Knox said that once the athletes on this year’s squad found their footing, they worked together to find success on the diamond.

Following regular-season play, coaches from Deep River, Chester, and Essex formulated the roster for this year’s All-Stars baseball squad. Although the players hail from different towns and attend different schools, Coach Knox knew that the athletes on the team had experience with each other through competing in other sports and participating in various activities. When the final roster was established, Knox saw her team begin the jell as its players planted the roots that would continue to grow throughout the summer.

“Since we merged, it took us a while to determine who we would have play All-Stars. We had to collaborate and determine who we wanted to take onto the team,” Coach Knox said. “Once we did, our practices went really well. These kids all know each other. They all gelled really well as soon as we got them together as a team.”

The players on this year’s DR-C-E 12-U All-Stars baseball team are Mitchell Bowe, Jordan Dolinsky, Cameron Faucher, Logan Fomenko, Jalen Harrell, David Maynard, Tanner McIntyre, Broaden Schulte, Dylan Smith, Josh Sweet, Jaxon Welch, and Brannick Wright. Coach Knox was joined by assistant coaches Cory Dolinsky and Nick Fomenko.

DR-C-E opened up the District 9 Tournament by playing Haddam-Killingworth in its first game on June 28. The team was down by six runs entering the bottom of the sixth inning, but refused to give up. DR-C-E put together a rally that culminated with a three-run triple from Mitchell Bowe that gave the club a 12-11 walk-off victory.

“That got the boys pumped for the rest of our bracket. We came back from such a deficit, and we were able to come back and win by one run,” said Knox. “It got them going. It got their energy going.”

DR-C-E wound up posting a record of 3-2 for its pool-play slate in the District 9 Tournament. After rallying to defeat H-K, the team claimed a 13-9 win against Old Saybrook-Westbrook on July 1 and then followed that up with a 17-2 victory over East Haddam the next day. DR-E-C also took losses against Portland and Madison in the tournament.

DR-E-C’s mark of 3-2 put the team in third place out of the six squads in its half of the District 9 bracket. Coach Knox felt proud to see her team stay competitive in the majority of its games while battling to the end of every contest.

Knox said that the DR-C-E All-Stars featured strong pitching this year and were further bolstered by some timely hitting and savvy base running. The team’s pitching staff was led by Brannick Wright, who also served as the catcher, along with Jordan Dolinsky and Tanner McIntyre. Coach Knox described all three players as key pieces to the team’s success.

“When Brannick wasn’t on the mound, he was behind the plate and really led the team in that regard,” Knox said. “Jordan would come in a lot to relieve. He would keep the momentum going. All three of them were huge assets.”

DR-E-C was often led by Bowe and Jalen Harrell at the plate. Coach Knox said that Bowe, a center fielder, was the catalyst of the team’s offense and gave a great at-bat every time he stepped into the box. Knox added that Harrell, who played second base, was not only a strong hitter, but also a smart base runner who typically scored when he got aboard.

Coach Knox wasn’t sure about what position each athlete would play or where they would hit in the order at the beginning of the season. However, once the pieces were in place, Knox was pleased to see how well her players bonded as everyone always had each other’s back.

“We weren’t exactly sure where each player would play and in the lineup. We really used those practices to see where the boys would be. Once we got that down in practices, we totally got it together,” said Knox. “They knew if someone was going to be there or if someone was going to back them up. It just worked well. They came together and made a great team.”

Coach Knox has been involved with Little League for the past 11 years. She had experience coaching many of this year’s players during their time in tee-ball. Now coaching the DR-C-E 12-U All-Stars team, Knox got to see firsthand just how much those players had grown and far they had come, no matter if they were from Deep River, Chester, or Essex.

“A lot of these boys I have coached since they were in tee-ball. It was a good feeling watching these boys start at four or five and having them play until they age out,” Knox said. “Being able to coach them was bittersweet.”