In the early moments of the game, which started just after 3 p.m., cheers erupted as a sea of fans clad in blue jerseys and caps packed in to watch. Supporters of all ages shouted and chanted, "Let's go, Braintree!"

Every television screen was tuned to the ESPN broadcast, the game commentary barely audible over the chants and excited chatter.

In the days leading up to the game, SouthSide Tavern had introduced 12 new specials, each named after a player on the team. Ten of the specials, with names like Caden "McCarthy Chicken Wrap" and Charlie "Doolin Loaded Tots," correlated to the players' favorite foods.

Every table at the tavern had been reserved in advance, with placards marking spots for families and friends.

"We've been getting calls nonstop since last week," said Stephen Dedalonis, 20, a Braintree native and host and food runner at the tavern.

At one table, Emily Antonowicz and her 10-year-old son, Andrew, watched intently. Andrew, a player for another Braintree American team, clutched his cap to his head as he sat among friends.

"A bit nervous," he admitted when asked how he was feeling, adding that he hopes to be on a World Series team one day.

"This is amazing that they've made it this far, and we're so proud of them no matter what happens," his mom said.

Nearby, Chrissy Joseph was cheering on the team, but also one person in particular -- her brother, Frank Fasoli, the team's general manager.

Joseph had just talked to her brother the day before.

"He said, 'Chrissy, the boys are just having the time of their life,'" she said, adding that in their downtime they were playing pickup basketball with other teams and living in the moment. When she asked him how he was feeling, he replied "We're underdogs, but we've always come through," he told her.

"These boys are really good and they love what they do," she said. "They're playing because it's their passion, not because they're forced to."

Joseph's daughter, 14-year-old, Brooke Costelo, said, "It's really cool to have a personal connection with the team that everyone knows about. I can't wait to see how much more they accomplish."

But as the game came to a close, the mood grew more somber. Braintree American fell to South Carolina in a shutout that shortened the game to just four innings under the mercy rule. The loss puts the team in the tournament's elimination bracket, where they'll have another chance to keep their run alive in a redemption game on Saturday.

For fans like Antonowicz, the loss was just a setback.

"In the words of Bill Belichick, we're on to Saturday," she said with a tight smile after the final out.

Joseph said she's confident the players can rebound.