(Courtesy of Curtis Banks)

(Courtesy of Curtis Banks)

The Mamie Johnson Little League was knocked out of the Little League World Series tournament on Tuesday, ending a Cinderella season that won over the hearts of people across the country.

On a hot and humid day in Bristol, Connecticut, Washington’s team went down 18-7 to the Berlin Little League from Maryland’s Eastern Shore. But even though the boys lost, they’ve already made history.

When they won the city’s Little League Championship last month, they represented the first predominately African American team to win in the tournament’s 31-year history. The squad represents Ward 8, and 11 of its 12 players are black.

The team then put up an online donation page to help it raise the $10,000 it needed to travel to Bristol for the Mid-Atlantic regional tournament. Within days, they’d raised more than what they needed from over 200 donors, including Baltimore Orioles’ outfielder Adam Jones. He pledged $8,500 to support the team.

The league’s name honors Mamie “Peanut” Johnson, the first female pitcher in the Negro League and a longtime D.C. resident. After retiring from baseball, Johnson worked as a nurse at Sibley Memorial Hospital for three decades. She passed away on Dec. 18, 2017 at the age of 82.

The boys lost their first game in the Mid-Atlantic regional tournament on Sunday against a New York team, 10-2. Their second loss, to Berlin, knocked them out of the dual elimination tournament. The Washington Nationals gave them a virtual pat on the back after the game:

There’s still another local team in the running for the World Series trophy: Virginia’s Loudoun Little League South. As of Tuesday afternoon, the team has a 3-1 record in the Southeast regional division.

The World Series starts on Thursday, Aug. 16 in Pennsylvania.

This story originally appeared on WAMU.

Previously:
After Raising More Than $15,000, This D.C. Little League Team Is On Its Way To The Regional Tournament

Filed Under: Little League, mamie johnson, wamu,