The Boyertown 8U Advanced Play Team rolled through the field at the Harleysville Stars & Stripes Tournament on their way to the championship.

The Bears got off to a tremendous start in this, their final tournament of the summer. The boys earned a 12-0 victory over Spring Ford in the 1st game of pool play. Camden S and Chase Y were outstanding on the mound, combining to throw four shutout innings, allowing only three hits, collecting nine strikeouts, and walking none. Camden led the offensive attack as well, going 2-2 with a triple, a walk, a stolen base, three runs scored, and four RBI. Owen H, Mason P, and James R each collected hits and had two RBI apiece.

The Bears were back at it on Saturday at 9 AM versus Upper Perk and had a second game at 3 PM versus Central Perk as they aimed to earn a berth in Sunday's semifinals. It was a long, hot, exhausting day, but it turned out to be very rewarding for the Bears - they kept things rolling right into the semifinals by earning a pair of victories to remain unbeaten in the tournament. In the 9 AM game, the Bears took it to Upper Perk 11-1 in 4 innings. Owen H, Ty G, and Colin H combined to scatter two hits, strikeout eight, and walk only two. The offense was led by Chase Y who went 3-3 with a run scored and four RBI. Mason N, Mason P, Ty G, James R, and Colin H all knocked in runs as well.

In the 3 PM game, the Bears earned their semifinal playoff berth with a 12-2 win over Central Perk in 4 innings. It was all about the Masons as Mason P and Mason N only allowed two runs on two hits while striking out eight. Camden S stayed hot as his lead off home run got the Bears on the board in the bottom of the first. Owen H's three RBI double in the bottom of the second blew the game wide open. Chase Y went 2-3 with two RBI and Lucas H, Mason N, and Colin H combined to knock in five more runs, but Jack S had himself a day. Getting a well earned start in RF, "Scooter" laid down a perfect bunt single to help the early offensive fireworks and later made a great read on a line drive to right field, making a very difficult catch look really easy!

The Bears would take on host Harleysville at 11 AM in the semifinals on Sunday. A win would send them to the championship game at 2:30 PM. Sunday got started with another lopsided victory, this time 12-2. Lucas H, Owen H, and Ty G combined to allow only two runs on two hits while striking out seven over the four innings. Lucas's five tools were all on display Sunday - he got the Bears on the board in the bottom of the first with his first of two home runs! Boyertown tacked on in the second when Mason P, Colin H, and Jack S all dropped down perfect bunt singles. Parker M had a 2-run double, Lucas H walked with the bases loaded, and Mason N had an RBI single to make it 6-1 Bears after two. In the third, after two quick outs, Ty G laced a triple and James "Primetime" R came up with yet another clutch two strike, two out RBI hit to make it 7-1 heading into the fourth. Harleysville managed to get one back in the top of the fourth, narrowing the Bears lead to 7-2. With the sun "bearing" down on them, the only thing hotter was the Bears bats. Parker M walked, Jack S dropped down another perfect bunt for a single, and Camden S was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Lucas H was up to bat next, and he crushed a ball to the gap. His speed was on display as he all but caught up to Camden as he completed an inside-the-park grand slam to make it 11-2! Not to be outdone, Owen H followed that up with his second home run of the year to walk it off and send Boyertown to the finals with the victory.

After a short break, the Bears took on a North Penn team that had breezed through their pool play and semifinal games as well. They would give our boys a battle for the ages! Only two times all season had this Boyertown 8U team been held under seven runs, and those were their only two losses (4-1 to Upper Providence in the Oley Tournament championship game and 12-4 to Ridley in the quarterfinals of the State Tournament). North Penn would hold the Bears offense to only five runs, but the Bears made those five count. Camden S made quick work of the top of the order with two strikeouts and a pop out. The offense got rolling after Camden walked and Mason N tripled, scoring on a throwing error to make it 2-0 Bears after one. Camden S was on replay for the second inning as he again struck out two and got another to pop out. In the bottom of the second, James R walked and Colin H dropped another perfect bunt single, leading to a throwing error that would score James to make it 3-0 after two. Chase Y came on to pitch the third and fourth and did what he had done all year - shut the door! He got two groundouts and a strikeout to end the top of the third. Lucas H singled and stole second and third to start the bottom of the third inning. Owen H would walk and Mason N singled to knock in Lucas H before Chase Y finished the scoring off with an RBI groundout to score Owen. The Bears led 5-0 after three. After a scoreless fourth by both teams, North Penn put the pressure on in the top of the fifth. Mason P came onto pitch and, after a leadoff walk, got two straight ground balls to third base (both routine force-outs from Lucas H at third to Mason N covering second) to get two outs. But a single, walk, single, error, and a double allowed North Penn to score four, all with two out. With the score 5-4, Owen H came in to pitch and got the Bears out of the jam, clutching to a 5-4 lead. After not getting any runs in the bottom of the fifth, the Bears needed three outs to earn their rings. After an error and a single had the tying and go-ahead runs on base with no outs, Owen H, known as "Ice Man", got a strikeout, a pop out, and a groundout to seal the deal. Airhorns were blasting, hugs, and tear-filled eyes filled the field as the Bears celebrated a well earned tournament championship!