MIDDLETOWN - RCP rallied to defeat Middletown 6-5 in extra innings in the opening round of the 17U State Regionals at Mckenna Field in East Hartford.

       Elias Deleon ended the marathon battle in the bottom on the 10th with a bases loaded single, driving in Alex Inglis for the game-winner.

       RCP, led by head coach Lou Thomas, needed three runs in the bottom of the seventh to send it into extras.

       Down to their final out, Tino Gagliardi, Zach Zajac, and Jesse Frazer each had hits in the inning, and Frazer’s was a double, which drove in Nick Soignoli for the game-tying run.

       The comeback was also aided by the relief pitching of Gagliardi and Nick Aderhold, who combined to pitch four scoreless innings.

       To reach the regionals, each team had to win their Regional POD. Middletown had to beat Newington and avenged a loss to Willimantic to survive POD A, and RCP easily swept through POD D.

       The loss to RCP ended a great season for Middletown, who won 16 of 22 games in the regular season, thanks to a strong pitching staff led by Alex Mach and Tiernan Powers.

       First baseman Ryan Michard and catcher Payton Frohlich steadied the team from the plate.

       Following the elimination of Middletown, RCP went on to the defeat Northeast 5-1 before falling to Tri-County (1-0) in the State Championship game in Meriden on August 4.