WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Boerne’s magic carpet ride to history ended Saturday in the U.S. Championship game at the 2024 Little League Baseball World Series.
The Boerne Little League All-Stars were met with a flurry of runs in the game’s final two innings. The Lake Mary, Florida, team, who Boerne defeated in an earlier round of the LLBWS, scored nine times in the fifth and sixth innings to down Boerne 10-7 on Saturday at Howard J. Lamade Stadium in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
A win on Saturday would have given Boerne a chance at the Lone Star State’s first Little League Baseball World Series title in 58 years.
Boerne had Julian Hurst, its ace, on the mound. His Saturday start began to mirror his 10-strikeout, complete-game effort against the Florida team on Aug. 19.
Hurst rolled through the first three innings. He did not allow a hit and struck out four batters. Offensively, Doc Mogford came through with a two-run double to stretch the Boerne lead to 4-0 after three innings.
After allowing his first run in the fourth, Hurst gave up a double to lead off the fifth inning and began to experience some discomfort.
During a mound visit by Boerne manager Justin Newson, an ABC microphone worn by Newson captured Hurst saying the “back of his shoulder” was bothering him. Hurst then told Newson he was healthy enough to remain in the game.
Hurst, however, was not as sharp on the mound after he suffered the injury. Still clinging to a 4-2 lead, Newson took Hurst out of the game and replaced him with Mogford.
Mogford allowed back-to-back singles that forced a 4-4 tie. The second of those singles struck Mogford in the leg, forcing him out of the game. Newson’s son, Kole, stepped in to pitch for Boerne with runners on first and third base.
Kole Newson struck out Hunter Alexander, the first batter he faced, but the play didn’t end there. Unbeknownst to Newson, who had his back turned, Florida baserunner Teraj Alexander stole home and put Lake Mary, Florida, in front for the first time.
Down 5-4, the Boerne offense battled back in the bottom of the fifth. Gray Collins knotted up the game at five thanks to a run-scoring single. A Florida wild pitch plated another run, putting Boerne back in front 6-5.
Another Florida miscue at home plate following a strikeout of Cooper Hastings allowed Hurst, who remained in the game at first base, to score and Hastings to make it to first base. Boerne took a 7-5 lead into the game’s sixth and final inning.
Due to another unexpected injury leading into the sixth, Kaleb Christ replaced Kole Newson on the mound. Christ was the fourth different Boerne pitcher used since the beginning of the fifth inning.
Christ loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth after two walks and a double. After a lineout, Lake Mary, Florida, outfielder Jacob Bibaud drove in a run with a single. Liam Morrisey then tied the game at seven with a sacrifice fly to right field.
With two outs in the sixth, Lake Mary, Florida, pitcher Luis Calo lined a two-run double on a 2-2 count.
Florida jumped ahead 9-7 and held onto the lead from there. Boerne had a one-out single from shortstop Jett Matthews, but he was erased from the basepaths on a game-ending double play.
Boerne will have its chance to secure one final win in the third-place game against Venezuela at 9 a.m. on Sunday. The game will air on ESPN2.
Lake Mary, Florida, will meet Taiwan in the LLBWS final at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The title game will air live on KSAT 12.
More Boerne at the Little League Baseball World Series coverage on KSAT: