NORTHBOROUGH — When the high-scoring Little League District 5 Major League final between Shrewsbury and Charlton at Casey Field came closed with a 10-9 victory for Charlton, the players jogged around the park with the championship banner, and promptly tripped with it out in center field.

Hence the only flaw in an electric game that included four lead changes, and the game was tied going into the final half inning.

After the game, Charlton manager Nick Murray said he had expected a “low-scoring game.” 

“Under five for both teams,” he said.

The teams combined for 18 hits and 19 runs. So it’s save to say the over cashed.

Thanks to the pregame coin flip, Charlton got last ups and took full advantage. In the sixth and final inning, Dante Rowden smacked a single and reached second on a passed ball, then Carter Levoie knocked in Rowden with a single to deliver Charlton its first district championship in 30 years.

“I was ready to go,” Levoie said. “Right from the start.”

After falling behind, 2-0, in the first half inning, Charlton answered with five runs in the bottom half, four on Rowden’s grand slam to right-center. Charlton added two more in the second, on Luka Lowe’s solo homer to lead off the inning, and Logan Andreatta’s single to drive in Tyler Pontbriand for a 7-2 lead.

Shrewsbury never gave in, however, answering with a five-run third to tie it up at 7-7.

With bases loaded and two out, Cooper Carolan belted a three-run triple to the left field corner to spark the rally. He crossed on a Ryan Nazarey single, and Nazarey was singled in by Danny Ferrante.

Shrewsbury took its second lead of the game in the fourth on Dylan DiPlazza’s two-out, two-run double for a 9-7 edge.

“Both teams, the bats came, all the boys came out swinging, on both sides,” Murray said. “It was a great game, very competitive. I’m proud of the boys on both sides.” 

Undeterred, Charlton rallied again. Lavoie led off the fourth with a double, and a full count and two out, Lowe bashed his second homer of the game to tie it up at 9.

“I’ve done it twice now,” Lowe said. “Once for the (Junior) WooSox and once here. It was last year, I hit two back-to-back home runs again.”

Charlton advances to the four-team State Section 2 Tournament, which follows a round-robin format. Charlton will face Swansea on July 15, Bridgewater July 16 and Braintree American the day after that. Sites and times are to be announced.

The top two teams in the round robin square off for the championship and the right to play in the four-team state tournament, with the winner there advancing to the New England Regionals in Bristol, Connecticut.

While the night will be remembered for all of the clutch hitting, two defensive plays helped carry the day for Charlton.

With one out in the second, shortstop Andreatta caught a line drive and tagged out the runner off second to end the inning.

In the sixth with the game tied and a runner on second, Nash Lefebvre, who was playing shortstop after starting the game on the mound, fielded a well-struck ball from Mason Callahan and threw perfectly to catcher Lowe, who tagged out Rex Cooper to keep the game 9-9

“Our boys love to work, and we practice every day, grounders, pop flies and situational stuff like that,” Murray said. “They’re always ready to go.”  

—Contact Michael Shattuck at michael.shattuck@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formely known as Twitter, @MikeShattuck.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Charlton outlasts Shrewsbury for Little League District 5 Majors title