SWANSBORO — Twelve of Beaufort County’s top performers during the Junior Babe Ruth season came together as one earlier this month in hopes of making a regional statement. Donning not Washington, Chocowinity, Bath or Belhaven, but “BC” on their chests, the team battled all the way to the championship game, where it defeated New Bern, 6-5, to take the 15U Junior Babe Ruth District 6 title.

“Once the players and parents know where you stand from Day 1, there are never any questions,” said head coach Bobby Boyd. “I’ve always told them three things: everybody can respect one another, everybody can hustle and everybody can play hard every play. Not any one of those three items takes talent. They’re required.”

For the first time, the 15U Junior Babe Ruth All-Star team was a culmination of players from all areas of Beaufort County. As projected varsity players went on to play for the newly reorganized Junior American Legion Post 15 or the Washington summer scholastic team following the Junior Babe Ruth regular season, a collection of players many considered underdogs came together with one goal — a district championship. And while they may not be the county’s most elite players, they certainly made a statement of their own.

“These guys here, no one really gave them a chance going to Swansboro,” Boyd said. “(The team is) a cohesive unit, all of them get along in the dugout. When they’re outside the dugout, they bond well together and that is just priceless. When guys get along and no one has an ego, no one cares if they get up as long as they win, you can coach that.”

On Friday in Game 1, carried by the right arm of Zack Griffin, Beaufort County took care of business against the host team, the Crystal Coast All-Stars, with a 9-0 victory. Griffin, the team’s ace, tossed a seven-inning shutout, allowing just three hits.

After defeating New Bern 7-5 the next day, Beaufort County needed a victory on Sunday to avoid forcing a Game 3 in the series. It was a win without the absence of late game drama.

Griffin, who was benched on Saturday in order to be ready for Sunday, struggled out of the gate in the first inning, getting little help from defense that was flawless for the previous 14 innings. New Bern jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead on three hits, a hit batter and costly throwing error.

New Bern’s pitching limited base runners and allowed just one run to cross through the first five innings, one that was manufactured via three walks and a Griffin single in the second. At the end of five, New Bern had a commanding 5-1 lead and was just six outs away from forcing a rubber match.

That was until control problems put Beaufort County back in the game. Nick Hardison singled in the sixth and Matthew Marslender reached on a fielder’s choice. Then, Dee Ebron blasted a single up the middle and at the end of the frame, Beaufort County was now down a manageable three runs.

In the top of the seventh, Colton Baker, Reggie Bishop, Hardison and Marslender all walked, while Griffin, Cody Pinkham and Ebron were hit by pitches. Without recording a hit, Beaufort County fought back for four runs, locking up a first-round bye in this week’s state championship.

After allowing four runs in the first inning, Griffin settled down and pitched well through the final six frames, allowing one run on five hits.

“It tells you that no matter what it looks like, we’re not going to give up, fight to the end and believe in each other,” Boyd said. “Matthew Marslender, our catcher, was an absolute leader. He was telling guys, ‘I don’t want to come back Monday night, we need to start hitting the ball.’

“Zack Griffin is one of the guys who is ‘yes sir, no sir.’ He lives for the moment and wants the ball. Enough said.”

Beaufort County will travel to Lumberton on Friday for the Junior Babe Ruth 15U State Tournament, which kicks off at 12:30 p.m.