WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The boys of Boerne entered Wednesday’s tilt against Henderson, Nevada, in the Little League Baseball World Series with two chances to earn the right to play in the U.S. championship game.
Boerne showed composure to stretch its lead in the later innings of the matchup and win 5-2.
While Boerne got ready for their third game on the national stage, Boerne’s classmates and teachers congregated for watch parties at Voss Middle School and Boerne Middle School South.
The roars and squeals were loud inside the cafeteria at the middle school of Julian Hurst, Doc Mogford, Caden Guffey, Aiden Munoz and Gage Stuebing as students cheered on every hit, every run and every strike.
Guffey, who isn’t a stranger to delivering on the national stage in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, started on the bump opposite Nevada’s Wyatt Erickson.
Boerne didn’t need time to ease its way into the U.S. semifinal as the squad jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning thanks to runs from Hurst and Gray Collins.
Soon after, Boerne found itself in trouble for the first time in the tournament with one out on the board and the bases loaded.
Even with the pressure of the world on their shoulders, the boys of Boerne stay poised.
After Guffey allowed a bases-loaded walk, manager Justin Newson made a call to the bullpen for Kaleb Christ.
Christ delivered a clutch strikeout for the second out. However, Nevada would tie up the game before Steubing helped Boerne out of the bases-loaded jam with a flyout to center field.
From that point on, Boerne never looked back. In the bottom of the third inning, Hurst barreled a hit to center field to score Steubing. Boerne retook the lead 3-2 after three innings.
Both teams also battled the elements as rain began pouring in Williamsport.
With the victory, Boerne clinched a spot in the United States final of the LLWS. The other spot in the U.S. championship game will be decided in the next 1-2 days among teams from Nevada, Florida and Hawaii.
The United States Championship will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday live on KSAT 12.
More Boerne Little League World Series coverage on KSAT:
