By Garrett Carr - Special to the Star
WILLIAMSPORT PENNSYLVANIA - With the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the sixth inning with the heart of the order up and trailing by a run, it looked like Boerne Little League was going to break through and find a way to win after not having the lead all game.
But, the rally fizzled out, casting Boerne into the loser’s bracket at the 2026 Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, after a 4-3 loss. They’ll play Monday at 3 p.m., and will need to win its next four to make it to the championship game.
Coming through the loser’s bracket is no problem for Boerne, as they have plenty of experience in that area after dropping an early game at the Southwest Regional only to rally all the way back and take home the regional crown.
Boerne manager Greg Yost is confident in his team’s ability to do the same thing.
“We lost Game 2 at the state tournament and came back and won three straight. Beat some pretty good pitchers. Same thing at the regional. Lost Game 1, rattled off three straight wins. I have no doubt we can do the same thing,” Coach Yost said. “The bench and our bullpen is deep. We’ve got lots of pitchers, so I have a lot of faith in them to pick it up. And I know we’ve got to play a lot of consecutive days, but our boys will be ready.”
At the state tournament, Boerne lost in the winner’s bracket final to Lubbock Western, only to bounce back and win the loser’s bracket final before beating Lubbock Western twice in a row to advance to the Southwest Regional Tournament.
Then, at regionals, they lost their opener to the Texas East representative, Lamar Little League, 10-3. But, with their summer on the line, they pulled off two straight wins, including a 3-2 win against the same Lamar team that beat them to clinch their spot in the regional title game after Tulsa Little League was disqualified from the tournament. They then beat Ascension Parish Little League out of Louisiana to get to Williamsport.
Those results should give Boerne plenty of confidence as they drop down in the loser’s bracket.
“You know, it sounds backwards, but our team plays looser after we’ve lost. I don’t know why. I don’t think we were tight today, but we played really well with our backs against the wall, and I think it shows a lot of the character of the team,” Yost said. “The boys, they’re fighters. They have a very never-give-up mentality. We’ve been asking that of them all year, and they just exceed expectations every time. So I believe they’ll continue to do that.”
And, while it didn’t translate it to a win on Friday, that trademark fight was on display in Friday’s loss. Boerne continually battled back all game long. They just fell one clutch hit short.
“A bunch of big moments by our boys. Some big moments on the mound, getting timely strikeouts, timely hit by (Lawson) Belden to score a run, big RBI there toward the bottom of the lineup. That was big time,” Yost said. “Throwing a kid out at home plate was a big moment, that was keeping the game within reach. That's how you have to play the game.”
Boerne keeps fighting like they did Friday, there is no reason they can’t make a run, just like they’ve done all summer.
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