The Hillsborough Hawks 8-and-under travel baseball team wrapped up its season on Thursday, July 30, in the championship game of the South Brunswick Summer Classic. The Hawks finished the season with 25 wins against 8 losses and two ties.
The Hawks began the season in April, competing in the USABL American Central Division and finished with a 5-4 record. The Hawks finished in a 3-way tie for third place. As the third seed in the league tournament, they advanced to their first championship game of the year, losing to Monroe Purple, who went on to win the 8U Mid-Atlantic Regional Cap Ripken Championship for the second time.
The Hawks entered five tournaments and made four more championship games, without losing a single game in pool play all year.
In May the Hawks went 3-0 in pool play on the way to the top seed in the North Edison Memorial Day Baseball Tournament. The team was upended by the N.Y. Prospects from Staten Island in the semifinals.
June saw the Hawks enter the Branchburg A Tournament and again finish with a perfect 3-0 record in pool play. They played the 8U Mid-Atlantic Regional host Mt. Olive for a second time in the final and won for a second time.
In July the Hawks competed in three tournaments. The month started with the East Brunswick Summer Slugfest, where the Hawks again went 3-0 in pool play. In the finals, they beat Monroe Gold for a second time to bring home their second championship.
The Hawks then ventured to compete against teams from South Jersey and Pennsylvania in the Burlington Township Falcon Frenzy. The Hawks finished pool play 2-0, winning battles against teams from Pennsylvania, and advanced to bracket play as the third seed. The Hawks advanced to another championship game before being knocked off by the host Burlington Falcons, who were the 8U South Jersey state Cal Ripken runners up.
Next was the South Brunswick Summer Classic, where the Hawks had two wins and two ties in pool play, ended up as the second seed and advanced to the finals against Franklin Township. After the Hawks had won their first game against Franklin in an earlier tournament and tying it in pool play, the Warriors, who were the 8U North Jersey state Cal Ripken runners up, bested the Hawks in the championship game.
This brought the Hawks total to five championship games in six tournaments. They won two titles and also made a semifinal. The team is looking forward to competing in the fall and getting ready for the 2016 9-and-under season.
