While the Sox were putting together a historic 15-game winning streak at Fenway this summer — tying a franchise record that had stood since 1946 — the South Boston 9U Shamrocks were putting together a streak of their own: 14 straight games without a single loss on their way to a Colonial League championship.

Not bad for a team whose biggest payroll expenses may have been sunflower seeds – ok, definitely the baseball bats.  And unlike their Fenway counterparts, the Shamrocks capped their streak with a championship.

What if they had a chance at 15?

It was the kind of summer the boys of South Boston Little League will remember for a long time.

The team first came together in 2025, as 8-year-olds in their inaugural season. They wasted little time making their mark, winning the 2025 Friendship League’s Eastern Conference divisional championship and advancing to regionals for the first time in 13 years.

This summer, they raised the bar again.

The South Boston 9U summer travel team – a group of boys who have taken to calling themselves the “Shamrocks” in the dugout- swept through the 2026 Colonial League regular season, advancing through two cross-divisional playoff rounds and the semifinals, a culmination of more than 30 teams across four divisions to earn a spot in the championship game against Abington.

Abington had proven to be a formidable rival throughout the league. Teams from Abington competed for championships in the league’s other age divisions, winning finals in three of four brackets.

The 9U championship would be different.

Early on, it looked as though Abington might add another title to the list. South Boston fell behind 5-0 in the second inning, facing its biggest deficit of the season. But rather than fold, the Shamrocks responded the way they had all summer — together.

Then came the fourth inning.

The Shamrocks erupted for five runs on three hits, erasing the deficit and tying the game. What had been an uphill battle suddenly became anyone’s championship to win.

South Boston wasn’t finished.

The bats stayed hot, the defense held firm, and the Shamrocks continued to pile on runs. By the fifth inning, they had taken complete control.

In total, they scored 20 runs to 8, to claim the Colonial League 9U championship and complete an extraordinary undefeated run.

For now, they’ll enjoy being champions. But with this group, there’s already excitement about what next summer might bring.

South Boston 9U summer travel league is honored by State Representative David Biele on Monday, August 24th, with a tour of
the Massachusetts State House.

Southie 9U:

Coaches:

Corey Harper

Jason McKenna

Sandy Schultz

Ralph Veenema

Players:

Thomas Costello

Ryan Donovan

Kellan Goodman

Bryan Griffin

Dylan Harper

James Jankowski

Forest Jennings

James McKenna

William McKinnon

Timothy O’Donnell

Gabriel Scheer

James Schultz

Liam Toomey

Jack Veenema