Already friends and neighbors, three Old Rochester Little League players have earned a new title: Champions.

The teammates - Ben Lafrance, Brett Rood, and Harry Smith - grew up playing baseball on Williams Way in Rochester.

The three played t-ball as children and later fashioned a makeshift baseball diamond. Their practice paid off and this summer they took the field in Cooperstown, N.Y., home of the Baseball of Fame.

This year marks the end of their Little League careers. But they went out swinging for the fences.

Last month, they celebrated with teammates after winning the Bourne Invitational Tournament. The tournament hosted 16 South Coast and Cape Cod teams. It was one tournament of many the team attended. Another was the Cooperstown Dreams Tournament.

The U12 Bulldogs, which has players from 10 to 12 years old, won 4-0 against Mashpee at the Bourne Invitational. Harry pitched so well he allowed only one hit.

“It was nerve wracking. I was sweating through my pants,” Harry said. “The Mashpee crowd was loud. The parents were chirpy too.”

Those “chirpy” parents tried to unsettle Harry with taunts.

“They shut up once we scored some runs,” Brett said.

Years of playing together, whether in the backyard or in Little League, built confidence and let the three hone their skills.

In Bourne, Harry and his opponent struck each other out a number of times. Both strong pitchers, it was Harry who hit a home run.

“It helps to have friends on the field. When you strike out in your backyard, with your friends, it’s not as embarrassing,” Brett said.

Ben, who also pitches, said they play with friends and siblings on their “home” field. The field is in the backyard and the bases are made up of scrap wood. Their parents often stop by to cheer.

Lessons learned at home are put on display in their games, he said.

“When we play catch, hit, or get a full game going we’re making connections. We’re getting to know each other’s style of play,” Ben said. “That helps a lot.”

In Cooperstown, the boys were on the Buzzards Bay Baseball Club team and played on a large stage. There were 104 teams total in the tournament. After the initial round, the team found themselves ranked 18th heading into tournament play.

The team didn’t place. But the boys’ run in Cooperstown was “fantastic,” said Coach Hal Rood.

The team played its final tournament as members of the Old Rochester Little League last weekend. In Acushnet, the boys participated in the 2013 Matty Oliviera and Michael Poulin Memorial Baseball Tournament.

“That marked the beginning of a new chapter for the kids,” Brett’s father said. “I consider that tournament their graduation from Little League.”