Port Washington’s best-ever season came to a disappointing end, as the New York state champs were eliminated in the Little League World Series Metro regional round by Darien, Conn., 8-4 on Wednesday night.
They were two wins away from a berth in the full-fledged Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., which would have been the Nassau County team’s first in its 63-year history.
Darien moves ahead to the championship game against Bayonne, N.J., Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
Port Washington L.L. comes off the field on Aug. 10, 2026, in Bristol, Conn. Port Washington was beaten by Bayonne Central on Aug. 12. Douglas Healey for NY Post
The Long Islanders started falling behind in the bottom of the first inning when Darien catcher Hugh Butler homered off Carlo Cafferata to make it 1-0 at Leon J. Breen Field in Bristol, Conn.
They had a hard time converting runs against Darien starter Charlie MacLane, who pitched 2 ¹/₃ shutout innings. Chase Sutter replaced him with a runner on second base in the third.
Cafferata atoned at the plate that inning by ripping an RBI single to tie the game 1-1. Port went on to load the bases on Sutter, but couldn’t convert any more offense in the third inning.
Darien regained the lead when right fielder Wells Johnson drove in a run on an infield error in the bottom of the third. The team poured it on with an RBI single from shortstop Luca Hidaka and an RBI double from Butler that extended the lead to 4-1.
Drew Theoharis replaced Cafferata with runners on second and third with no outs, as Sutter drove in another pair with a double that pushed things to 6-1 in the same inning.
Theoharis also drove in a run on an RBI single against reliever Rex Paquette in the fifth inning that made it a 6-2 game.
Luca Theoharis of Port Washington is caught running back to third base on Aug. 10, 2026, in Bristol, Conn. Douglas Healey for NY Post
Butler again took the wind out of Port’s sails with another big dent, this one for two runs in the bottom of the fifth to extend the lead to 8-2.
Port fought valiantly until the end and loaded the bases in the sixth inning. Theoharis’ younger brother, outfielder Luca, drove in a pair with a single, cutting the Darien lead to 8-4 in a one-out rally.
Darien closer Roscoe Hurty entered and secured the final two outs on a double play.
Port’s feel-good season suddenly became a national sensation this week, thanks to their tradition of coaches putting the boys’ cell phones in a bucket five hours ahead of first pitch on game days, which The Post first reported.
The kids not only loved playing games with each other in place of screen time, but also found it to be a good luck charm throughout the New York state championship games.
Undefeated Bayonne Central beat Connecticut’s best 8-2 in the Metro Region’s opening round, and Port 12-2 in the winner’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament.
The Garden State powerhouse’s 11- and 12-year-olds are enjoying the age group’s first state championship in the league’s 75-year history.
