Henderson team falls but still alive at Little League World Series

Paseo Verde had momentum on its side and ace pitcher Wyatt Erickson on the mound Wednesday.

Boerne, Texas, didn’t seem to care.

Paseo Verde gave up three runs in a disastrous third inning and was unable to recover en route to a 5-2 loss to the Southwest Region champs in the winners’ bracket semifinal of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

The Henderson team, representing the Mountain Region, will face Lake Mary, Florida, in an elimination game at 4 p.m. Thursday. The winner will advance to play Boerne in the U.S. final Saturday, with that victor earning a spot in Sunday’s championship game.

“That’s a good Texas team,” Paseo Verde coach Adam Johnson said. “We knew they were going to put the ball in play. They got a couple big hits and we didn’t, but we’re going to regroup and get back after it tomorrow.”

Boerne (3-0) took control in the first inning, scoring two runs on three hits against Erickson, who had been undefeated in the postseason.

“Wyatt missed a few pitches, but Texas is just that good,” said Johnson, whose ace allowed five earned runs on six hits. “If we would have had a couple of timely hits, maybe things would have gone the other way.”

Paseo Verde (2-1) got both runs back in the second with a bases-loaded walk to Liam Sparks and an RBI single by Gunner Beranek.

The 2-2 tie didn’t last long, as Boerne went on the attack in the third inning, launching a three-run rally highlighted by Gray Collins’ RBI double to left field.

Paseo Verde left-hander Noah Letalu stabilized the situation in relief, but his team never mounted another offensive threat off two Texas relievers.

The loss created a dilemma for Johnson, whose top two pitchers will be ineligible to throw Thursday.

However, Paseo Verde has a deep pitching staff and has had success with other hurlers. Sparks and Russell McGee combined for a shutout in a 6-0 win over Montana in the Mountain Region tournament.

“This should be similar to that Montana game,” Johnson said. “But at the end of the day, we’re going to have to put the bat on the ball and score some runs.”

Southeast Region champ Lake Mary (4-1), which eliminated Wailuku, Hawaii, 4-3 on Wednesday, is relatively unknown to Johnson and his team, but he said they’ve picked up some tips from the stands in the past week.

“We know they’re well-coached, and they’re going to be hard to beat,” Johnson said. “But our boys are confident.”

Contact Jeff Wollard at jwollard@reviewjournal.com.