Ellwood City Little League To Celebrate 75th Anniversary Season This Summer

Ellwood City Little League Baseball will celebrate their 75th anniversary this season.

Ellwood City organized the first Little League program in Lawrence, Beaver, Butler and Mercer counties in 1950. Ellwood City along with McKeesport, Washington, Coraopolis, and Tarentum were the five leagues in western Pennsylvania that participated in the state tournament in 1950.

The inaugural game of the Ellwood City Little League game was played at the Lincoln High School Field on June 6, 1950. The Moose edged the Legion, 2-1, on their way to the becoming the first league champion.

The league moved to the Ewing Park Baseball Complex in 1952 where games have been played the past 74 years.

First Ellwood City Little League game played on June 6, 1950…Ellwood City Ledger

Ellwood City Little League teams participate in the Lawrence County Little League.

The 75th Anniversary game will be held at Freidhoff Field on Friday, June 6th between the Moose and the Lions who have sponsored teams in the league since the program began in 1950.

The 74th Ellwood City Little League Tournament, the second oldest Little League tournament in the country next to the Little League World Series, will be held in July.

A team trophy and individual trophies will be awarded to the tournament champions and runners-up. The Home Run Derby champion will be awarded an individual trophy. The tournament is a modified double-elimination with a three-game minimum.  For further information on the tournament, visit https://ellwoodcitybaseball.com/, and contact Don Mancini at 724/290-4226 or dmancini@zoominternet.net.

Last year, Ellwood City fell short of its championship bid in the 73rd Little League Tournament, falling to Laurel in the Championship series; Joey Zito earned the Homerun Derby Crown.