IN PICTURES: UPPER KEYS LITTLE LEAGUE CHAMPS

A baseball tournament and skills competition in Key West on July 17 brought the best out of players throughout the island chain. Teams from the Upper Keys, Marathon and Key West took to the diamond for a series of games. In the end, the Upper Keys faced off against Marathon in the championship game having given up the least runs in their two prior games.  Coached by Rob Paul and Bryan O’Berry, the Upper Keys Little League team came home with the tournament trophy. The Upper Keys team defeated Marathon in game one, while Key West defeated the Upper Keys in game two. Marathon defeated Key West in game three. All in all, Paul said the players practiced hard ahead of the tournament. “Even with the initial loss to Key West in the middle of the tournament, they held their composure and moved forward and won the final round,” he said. O’Berry said many players have played in recreational leagues since March. “These kids have been practicing every single day, getting a lot of swings and steadily,” he said.

BARRY GAUKEL/Keys Weekly

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