Fort Hunt Little League All-Stars win state championship

Front Row – Sammy Dorris, Bennett Zippel, Jake Gupton, Will Sharp, Kyle Pilc, Garrett Quimby
Second Row – Nick Castrilli, Joe Humphreys, Ryan Conmy, Brody Shawn, Nathan DeWitte, Michael Lavanga, Antonio Marcucci, Drew Norton
Third Row – Coaches Matthew Dorris, Chuck Gupton, Andy Norton, Bob Pilc, Dale Dorris, Tony Castrilli
(Photo by Diana Giammarco)

The Fort Hunt Little League (FHLL) Majors All-Star team won the 2017 Virginia State Championship on Tuesday, beating Atlee Little League 5-4 at the Fuller Heights baseball complex in Triangle, Va.

This is the first time Fort Hunt’s nearly 60-year history that it has won the Majors state championship. They now have a chance to earn a spot in the Little League World Series next month.

FHLL was 6-0 at the state tournament, outscoring their opponents 94-12. Including the District 9 tournament, the team has gone 12-0 since starting All-Star play earlier this month.

The championship game against Atlee came down to the wire, with the teams entering the final inning tied at 4. A walk-off hit by Sammy Dorris drove in Kyle Pilc for the game-winning run. 

Fort Hunt mowed its first three opponents in the state tournament by a combined score of 62-0. Then they proved they could win a tight game too, coming back in dramatic fashion against Vienna in the quarterfinals. Trailing by two runs in the 6th inning, Fort Hunt turned on the offense and rallied for a 10-7 win.

Fort Hunt won 17-1 their semifinal matchup with York County.

Fort Hunt will next play at the Southeast Regional Little League Championship Tournament in Warner Robins, Ga., starting on August 4 in their bid to earn a spot in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in mid-August.

Manager Chuck Gupton said, “this exceptional group of players earned this opportunity through hard work and by never giving up. Playing at the Little League Southeast Regional Championship is a once in a lifetime opportunity for these players and so exciting for our families and fans. We look forward to representing our Fort Hunt community and Virginia at the next level.”

Seniors fall in regionals

The Fort Hunt Little Leagues Senior All-Stars were eliminated from the Southeast Regional Tournament earlier this week, advancing to the semifinals before being eliminated by Tennessee.  

The Fort Hunt Seniors went 2-2 in regionals, with wins over South Carolina and West Virginia. The FHLL Seniors won the Virginia State Tournament on July 11.