July 30, 2006 – The V.I. team returned home Sunday morning to Cyril E. King Airport after placing second in the Caribbean Regional Tournament of Little League Baseball in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. They were welcomed by about 30 supporters.
Virgin Islands were defeated in the championship game of the tournament by Curacao, one win short of qualifying for the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., as the Caribbean representative. The team finished the tournament with a record of 4-1.
The team was greeted by local league officers, relatives and even co-workers, as the V.I. Fire Department came out to support its own, firefighter Frank Thomas, a coach with the team. The fire truck blew its siren as the team walked into the terminal.
The supporters brought Little League champagne, aka apple cider, for the youngsters to celebrate their outstanding performance. A strong sense of pride was evident among all who came out Sunday morning.
The Virgin Islands have sent representatives to four regional Little League tournaments — Little (ages 11-12) in Puerto Rico; Junior (ages 13-14) hosted in St. Thomas one week ago; Senior (ages 15-16) in Mexico and Big (ages 16-18) in Guatemala earlier this month. Two of the teams have advanced to the semifinals: the Little finishing second and Big placing fourth. The fifth and final team, the Minor Leaguers (ages 9-10) will represent the territory Labor Day weekend in Puerto Rico.
