The bases were loaded in the top of the seventh inning for the Barrington U12 All-Stars during their first game in the New England Regional Tournament in Bristol, Conn., Monday night. With the Barrington crowd on their feet chanting “Bumpy, Bumpy,” Christopher ‘Bumpy’ Promades (2 for 4, 2 RBI, 1 run scored) stepped to the plate and launched a 2-1 pitch from Vermont relief pitcher Will Eaton into right field to score Mason Crain and Miles Fontaine, to give Barrington a 6-4 victory.

“It was huge,” said Head Coach Chris Promades. “It’s his birthday … and It was kind of storybook like. He got a great pitch to hit. He drove it to right field and scored two runs. It was clutch. It was exactly what we needed.”

The win puts the Eagles into the tournament semifinals against New Hampshire at Barnes Field in Bristol, Conn., on Thursday at 1 p.m.

Promades is getting used to hitting well in clutch situations. Bumpy hit a two-run single in the final inning of the state championship to give the Eagles a 10-7 cushion.

“Bumpy’s come up big in important situations,” said coach Promades during a postgame interview. “It’s good to see him coming through in the clutch. So far he’s doing a good job,” the coach said, adding, “And he’s got no choice, he’s my son, right?”

A rough start

Barrington starter Owen Pfeffer (8 strikeouts on 65 pitches) had difficulty with his control and walked the bases loaded in the first inning. Coach Promades came out to the mound to calm his pitcher.

“I went out to Owen on the mound and said, ‘You’re on the mound for a reason,’ ” said coach Promades. “You’re one of my aces. Pitch the way you know how to. If they put the ball in play, you have the best defense in Little League baseball behind you and good things will happen.”

Pfeffer took matters into his own hands, and mixing in his curve, struck out the side to get out of the inning.

“It was a tremendous effort,” coach Promades said.

The team, energized from Pfeffer’s first inning of work, scored four runs in the top of the second inning for a 4-0 lead.

Alex Anderson and Bumpy Promades each singled off Vermont’s hard throwing righty, Boone Fahey, to give Barrington runners at first and second base.

Fahey then walked Matthew Fede and James Calderella to score Anderson, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead.

Cullen Crain popped out. Fahey then threw a heater that hit Pfeffer in the thigh. Pfeffer jumped up, but couldn’t avoid the pitch and fell to the ground in pain. Pfeffer collected himself and limped to first base. Promades scored on the play to give Barrington a 2-0 lead.

Lucas Tanous hit the ball hard to second base. Vermont’s Jacob Putnam dove to his right and snared the ball, but couldn’t get Pfeffer at second base, as Fede scored to give Barrington a 3-0 lead.

Mason Crain drew a walk with the bases loaded to score Calderella, to give Barrington a 4-0 lead.

Fahey struck out Chase Watts and Anderson to get out of the inning.

In the bottom of the second, Pfeffer had his curve ball working and struck out the first two batters for five strikeouts in a row.

But Vermont’s Rowan Leckerling struck a 3-2 pitch past Calderella at third base for a two-out double.

Pfeffer walked Vermont lead off hitter Ryan Walker to give Vermont runners at first and second base.

Pfeffer gave up an 0-2 hit to Kason Blood to load the bases.

Vermont three hitter, Will Eaton, hit a Pfeffer pitch deep to the hole at shortstop. Cullen Crain dove to his right to make the stop, but threw the ball past his brother Mason at second base into right field. Vermont scored two runs on the error to close the gapto 4-2.

Vermont had runners at first and third. Eaton promptly stole second base and Barrington decided to load the bases for Landon Kingsbury.

Kingsbury singled home two runs with a hit to centerfield to tie the game at 4-4.

Pfeffer struck out Brody Kingsbury to end the inning.

Pfeffer gave way to Anderson in the third inning. Anderson struck out four batters and held Vermont scoreless for 66 pitches, before walking Eaton in the sixth inning.

Coach Promades walked out to the mound and replaced Anderson with Mason Crain.

Crain struck out Fahey to keep the game tied heading into extra innings.

Late-game heroics

In the top of the seventh, with Eaton pitching a second inning of relief, Mason Crain struck a 2-1 pitch to centerfield for a base hit. Watts re-entered the game to pinch run for Crain. Eaton then hit Miles Fontaine to put runners at first and second with one out. Anderson walked to load the bases, forcing Vermont to make a pitching change.

The Barrington cheering section stirred as righty Jacob Putnam warmed up to pitch to Bumpy Promades.

Chants of “Bumpy, Bumpy” rained down onto the field as Promades stepped to the plate and smashed a 2-1 pitch into right field that sent the Barrington crowd into a frenzy, as Watts and Fontaine came in to score to give Barrington a 6-4 lead.

Putnam got Fede to ground out, but he hit Calderella to load the bases, before Cullen Crain grounded out to second base to end the inning.

Mason Crain came on to pitch the seventh and hit leadoff hitter, Landon Kingsbury. Crain yielded a base hit to Brody Kingsbury to give Vermont runners at first and second with no one out.

“I started getting worried,” the relief pitcher said. “I thought to myself, there’s only three outs and I knew I could do it. I knew I could throw strikes.”

Crain got Putnam to hit a grounder to Calderella at third base. He snared the ball and stepped on the bag for a forceout at third.

Crain struck out Chase Fischer for the second out of the inning.

Vermont’s Brandon Larson lined out to Calderella to end the game and give the Eagles a 6-4 victory in their first New England Regional Tournament game.

“Our team is battled tested,” coach Promades said. “They never give up. I couldn’t be any more proud of this great group of kids.”