One play here, one bloop hit there and Braintree, Massachusetts might not have advanced past the state tournament. The New England champions played three state tournament games, winning one-run thrillers each time.

That trend continued in Bristol when Braintree continued a historic summer and won a riveting eight-inning, 3-2 regional championship thriller. So, one better believe Braintree being among the world’s top 20 Little League teams and competing at the Little League World Series is every bit a testament to its toughness as its talent.

A team which captured the first state title in the league’s 72-year history made its Series debut on Thursday afternoon against Irmo, South Carolina and the ability of all 12 players to shine in the most tense moments paved the way toward Lamade Stadium.

“I just think it’s the way they’re built. They’re built to win,” Braintree manager Frank Fasoli said. “In these tight games, when they have to fight, they’re able to step up.”

“That’s what I think the strength is. The mercy rule games are great, but the strength of the team is winning tight games and playing good, fundamental baseball,” Braintree American Little League president Nick DiMartino said. “Kids are going to make mistakes like any players at any level will, but what’s most impressive is when they make a mistake they bounce back like it didn’t happen.”

After breezing through the District 8 tournament, Braintree really started displaying that cool under fire mentality at the Section 2 tournament, edging Swansea 5-4 and Bridgewater, 3-1. It was at states, however, where Braintree players really drove home how much their iron will matches their excellent skill.

Braintree opened the tournament with a 2-1 win against Holden before facing Walpole in the winner’s bracket final, a team Fasoli said was as good as any his squad played on the way to South Williamsport. Again, Braintree won a hard-fought 2-1 game but Walpole reached the final and faced it again.

A pitcher’s duel ensued but Frankie Fasoli was unbreakable, throwing a shutout and Sam Trotta smashed a late-game home run as Braintree became Massachusetts’s best team and broke through a barrier which had blocked its league for 72 years.

“What these kids have experienced this summer, you couldn’t ask for a better way to go through this season and earn all the achievements they’ve accomplished,” Fasoli said. “They’re staying humble the whole time and it’s a different kid every night. To have all these guys step up and make something happen time after time in big situations, it makes it a really special team.”

Braintree flipped the script when it opened regionals with 15-0 and 10-0 demolitions of Maine and Vermont, respectively. But it seemed fitting that the final chapter in this fabulous story would test everything Braintree had.

Braintree and New Hampshire staged a classic final, trading big hits, magnificent and game-saving plays, as well as clutch pitching. The game was tied through six innings before Fasoli made the play of the year for Braintree and threw out the go-ahead runner at the plate from shortstop. Colman Gouthro put out repeated fires on the mound, throwing six innings of two-hit dominant relief and Braintree used terrific small ball to bring home the winning run and win, 3-2.

What once felt like a far-fetched dream had become reality. Braintree was headed to the Little League World Series. How it reached that destination long will be every bit as that it reached this destination.

“It’s every kid’s dream to get to Williamsport, but how many get to actually do it? I still can’t believe we’re here,” Fasoli said. “It’s who these kids are and what they’ve put in and the sacrifices they’ve made. It’s how many pool parties and beach days they’ve skipped to practice every single day since June 12. This was their last run in Little League and we just wanted to win districts. That was the main goal and we just kept rolling and the fact that they pulled this off is remarkable.”

Fasoli and his coaching staff have played a major role. Working with this group since most of them were 5 and 6, the coaches, obviously, have drilled them on fundamentals, prepared them for situations and made the better players.

Still, their ability to stay calm at all times may be just as important. Attitude often reflects leadership and that shines through when one watches Braintree play. Through all the pressure-filled situations, the coaches’ demeanor, as well as their belief in them, has kept the players cool under fire.

“Some people say, they (the coaches) are so quiet, but what they don’t realize is that they coach them up in practice and then let them play the game and I think the team and what the coaches have instilled in them leads to the confidence and allows the kids to play the game how they do when big situations arise,” DiMartino said. “They do not apply any pressure to the kids and it shows in the way they play.”

“The coaches instill confidence and the players don’t get frazzled as a result,” Braintree American Little League vice president Steve Pratt said. “You look at those one-run games and all the cameras there when they’ve been playing and they stay fundamental and do what they’ve been taught. The coaches set a perfect example and there’s never been a situation which is too bright for these players.”

Braintree has not been home since July but it is feeling the love its clutch play has produced there. Former opponents have become friends and are among the team’s biggest cheerleaders. The Red Sox will soon likely be reaching out to the team which is 12 miles from Boston and, whenever this historic run ends, this team will receive a Big League welcome home.

Along the way, Braintree has inspired younger players throughout its league. What once felt impossible now seems like something they can attain now that they have a blueprint.

This team’s legacy, though, goes beyond the wins. Like the Red Sox defying the odds against the Yankees in 2004 when facing a 3-0 deficit in the American League Championship Series, this team will be remembered for how it was at its best when the lights were brightest and the odds seemingly the longest.

“It’s been such a wild ride, going from districts, to sectionals to states and regionals and now the Series. All these historical moments and doing it with their friends and coaches and parents by their side is so special,” Pratt said. “They kids are getting so much attention and it’s well-deserved. They have worked so hard and played so well. They have represented the league and town and all of Massachusetts so well.

“It’s incredible what they’ve done.”