​1 / 24Taunton’s Logan Rego beats and Swansea’s Aiden Patel during the Massachusetts District 6 Major Division title game between Taunton East and Swansea Maroon at the Swansea LL Complex on July 15, 2026.(HERALD NEWS/COLIN FURZE)SWANSEA— For the past three years, at different age levels, the same Taunton East and Swansea Maroon squads have met each other in the Massachusetts Little League District 6 championship.All of those games, and other clashes between the two, have been hard-fought affairs, decided by just a run or two. The past two titles clashes have gone to the boys from Swansea.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut when the two met for the 12U title at the Swansea Little League Complex on Wednesday, July 15, the first step on the long road to Williamsport and its famed Little League World Series, it was the boys from Taunton East who came out on top.Propelled by a three run first inning and solidified by an extra inning bunt, Taunton East held off Swansea Maroon to secure a 5-4 seventh inning win and the 2026 Massachusetts 12U District 6 crown.Members of the Taunton East Little League 12U Majors team poses with their District 6 champions banner after beating Swansea Maroon in the title game at the Swansea Little League Complex on July 15, 2026.”It means the world to me,” Taunton East coach Eddy Travers said. “Since these kids were six and seven years old, we’ve been battling every game… (Swansea Maroon) came out on top the last couple of years, but we came out on top the year it means the most.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAfter Swansea Maroon tied things up 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth to force extra innings, Taunton East knew they needed to respond fast to quell their momentum. With shortstop Jakobe Suarez, who led the way at the plate going 1-for-2 with a double, a pair of runs and an RBI, placed at second as the automatic extra innings baserunner and advancing to third on a single by Kyle LaPointe, the team’s top bunter, third baseman Emmett Travers, came up to bat.”He’s always putting the ball in play,” Eddy Travers said of his son. “I knew he could get it down, and I knew that Jakobe at third base was ready to go when we put it down exactly where we told him to put it, and it worked.The younger Travers placed a bunt perfectly between the mound and first base line, giving Suarez enough time to reach home and himself enough time to reach first safely for the single.MLB: Raynham’s Brody Bumila drafted by Texas RangersAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFrom there, Suarez was able to close out the game, striking out three straight Swansea batters after giving up an opening walk to seal the deal for Taunton East. He earned the save going 2 innings giving up an unearned run on a pair of hits and a walk while striking out 4.Gavin Costa, meanwhile, earned the win for Taunton East, going 5 innings giving up 3 runs (2 earned) on 8 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3.”He did what he had to do, and that’s why he’s ou