WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — The Boerne Little League All-Stars' season concluded Sunday with a 4-3 loss to Barquisimeto, Venezuela, in the Third Place Game at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.
It wasn't the ending that the team and its fans had hoped for going into the weekend, but Boerne nonetheless finished as the fourth-place team in this year's tournament, a huge accomplishment for the first-time LLWS participants.
Boerne came into Saturday with a 3-0 record in the tournament after victories over Pennsylvania, Florida and Nevada, but their rematch with Lake Mary, Florida, in the U.S. Bracket final became a back-and-forth struggle. Boerne ultimately lost, 10-7, after Florida scored nine runs in the final two innings.
On Sunday, they faced Venezuela, which had lost in the International Bracket final to Chinese Taipei on Saturday.
Boerne got off to a great start in the top of the first when Julian Hurst singled to right. After Gray Collins reached on a fielder's choice and Cooper Hastings singled, Doc Mogford hit a double, scoring Collins and Hastings. Mogford took third on the throw, then scored on a passed ball to give Boerne a 3-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second inning, Venezuela got back in the game, capitalizing on an error at third and two passed balls to get Samuel Carrasquel to third with no outs. After an infield groundout, Diego Biarreta doubled to center to score Carrasquel. After a walk and single loaded the bases, Simon Vicheria hit into a fielder's choice, scoring Biarreta, before Boerne got out of the jam.
The score remained 3-2 until the bottom of the third inning, when Venezuela's Jonathan Landaeta walked and reached second on a wild pitch before an error on a Beiker Zarraga grounder to the pitcher scored Landaeta to tie it at 3-3. Zarraga went to third on a single by Jesus Diaz and then scored after Jhonson Freitez was hit by a pitch to load the bases and then Carrasquel drew an RBI walk.
Venezuela maintained its 4-3 lead into the top of the sixth, when Boerne attempted to push across the tying run in their final at-bat. Aiden Muñoz singled to right to open the inning. After a Dylan Burke strikeout, Kaleb Christ drew a walk, Ben Burkhart also struck out before Julian Hurst, the team's leadoff batter, drew another walk to load the bases. However, Gray Collins lined out to the second baseman to end the game.
The Boerne Little League team is expected to appear at a parade in their honor back home in Boerne on Monday starting at 4:45 p.m. in Main Plaza.
