Brett Collamore, of Waldoboro, won the Aquafina Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit & Run New England Regional Team competition in the 9 and 10-year-old age division at Fenway Park in Boston June 12. He was presented a home plate plaque for winning the Team overall championship. He was the only competitor from Maine.
Collamore is waiting to hear if his score is good enough to qualify for the National Finals to be held at the All-Star Game in Anaheim, Cal.
The three top All-Around Champions nationwide, with the highest score in each age group, will be invited to compete there.
Collamore was overall champion with 663 points at the local competition in Waldoboro on May 15 to qualify for the Sectional competition in Freeport May 22, where he scored 862 points to again finish as overall champion, and qualify for the Red Sox Team Championships.
Aquafina Pitch, Hit & Run is a skills competition for ball players aged 7-14. Collamore hit the strike zone, roughly the size of a piece of typing paper, five out of six times in the pitch competition.
Competitors hit off a tee in the hit competition. “I didn’t do good,” Collamore, who is not used to hitting off a tee, said. In the run competition, ball players start halfway between second and third base and run to home plate.
When asked what Fenway Park was like, Collamore said “normal,” as he had attended a game there before. “It was fun down on the field,” he said, then added the Green Monster was “kind of cool.”
He did not meet any Red Sox players, but Collamore didn’t mind, because he is a Yankees fan. His favorite major league baseball player is Arod (Alex Rodriques).
The quiet spoken Collamore said he was “surprised” when they announced he had won. “I got my picture taken and was interviewed twice, once for pictures and once for video. They said we were going to be on TV.”
Collamore attended the Red Sox vs. Phillies game for free for qualifying for the Team competition at Fenway. He sat in the right field bleachers and when asked if it was a good game, he responded, “yep”. The Red Sox won the game.
Collamore said he would like to thank his coaches for helping him, including his old coach Ralph Eugley, his new coach Wesley Lash, his older brother Bryce, his parents and his assistant coach Bob Soper.
Last year, Collamore played for the Wheels in Lincoln County Little League, this year he plays for the Panthers in Waldoboro Little League.
Collamore is the son of Heather Blastow and Brian Collamore.