Pitchers’ duels ruled the day during the two Little League Championship Games at Veira Park on Saturday afternoon.

In the Majors game, the league-leading Cubs picked up a 2-1 win over the second-place Pirates for their second title in a row. Cubs pitcher Aidan Aliberti pitched a two-hitter while turning in an RBI triple and scoring on a wild pitch. Curtis Fournier launched a home run off Aliberti in the first inning to put the Pirates up early, but the lineup could not get past the Cubs ace to extend the lead. Fournier closed for the Pirates after Jack Sierputoski’s strong starting performance.

The Minor League Marlins, also appearing in the championship game for the second year in a row (last year the team fell to the Twins), brought home trophies of their own, going 3-1 over the Cinderella-story Reds, who pulled off a series of upsets to make it to the title contest. Excellent baserunning tactics put the Marlins ahead in the bottom of the first after Bailee Francis’s double sent Matt Pouliot home. Matt Moore gave the Marlins a 2-0 cushion in the third, scoring on a Nick Cranston single. Henry Warner notched an RBI single in the fourth to put the team up 3-0. Though the Reds got on the board in the next inning after Lukas Fenske’s right field drive scored Jack O’Brien, the Marlins held on for the win.

The Little League travel season begins on Tuesday, as the 11-year-old squad plays Old Rochester at 5 p.m. at Veira Park.