By Dean L. Smith
Herald Staff
This past week has seen the old ABC Wide World of Sports opening line of “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” come to fruition for the Lake Mary Little League program.
The defending World Champion Lake Mary Majors (10-12 year olds) were within one pitch of a return to the Little League Baseball World Series at least three times in the bottom of the sixth, and final, inning, but Irmo, South Carolina, pulled off an amazing rally, scoring five times in the bottom of the sixth inning to eliminate the defending champs, 5-4, in the Championship Game at the Southeast Region Tournament in Warner Robins, Georgia.
Lake Mary, the only undefeated team in the tournament heading into the final, had Run Ruled South Carolina, 14-0 in five innings in the Winner’s Bracket Final, and appeared headed to victory by building a 4-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. But two walks to open the frame gave SC confidence and, after a strike out, a single loaded the bases with only one out.
Things were still looking good when the next batter struck out and the following batter fell behind 2-2. However, after a foul, a ball loaded the count, which was followed by two more foul balls before a ball on a very close pitch, gave Irmo its first run against Lake Mary in two games.
Lake Mary then played the odds, walking South Carolina’s best player intentionally, driving in another run, and the next batter fell behind 1-2. But on a 2-2 pitch, Brady Westbrooks ripped a line drive to left off the warning track and all three runners scored to end Lake Mary’s reign.
The boys went 3-1 in the tournament and 12-1 for the summer.
The squad was managed by Jonathan Anderson, with Kyle Bono and Wesley Hohman serving as coaches.
Making up the roster were Christopher Chikodroff, Winston Bernstein, Levi Rodriguez, Joey Artiles, Jaxson Roicki, Major Homan, Brycen Kenny, DeMarcos Mieses, Colin Anderson, Jacob Brown, Noah Genao and Maddox Novitchkov.
Then up the road in North Carolina, the Lake Mary Majors softball All-Stars took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a double by Alana Luu and a one out single by Addison Bono, who drove in her eighth run of the tournament, in a rematch with the Southwest Region champions from Tulsa (Oklahoma) National Little League the Purple Bracket semifinals of the Little League Softball World Series at Stallings Stadium at Elm Street Park in Greenville, North Carolina.
But the locals would leave the bases loaded and would not score again and Tulsa, which edged Lake Mary, 2-1, on a bases loaded hit batter earlier in the week, tied the game in the bottom of the second.
Both teams had their chances, Southwest leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth and Lake Mary leaving the bases loaded in the top of the fifth.
Tulsa’s first batter in the bottom of the sixth reached on an error and pitcher Harmoneigh White fell behind 0-2 before battling back to a 2-2 count and on the ninth pitch of the at bat launched a shot over the centerfield fence for a walkoff two-run homer.
The home run was the first of White’s career and just the second of the tournament, Bono had homered in the first game, and only the fifth in Elm Street Park since the World Series moved there in 2022.
Lake Mary ended the World Series with a 3-2 record and a fifth place finish. Overall, the girls were 13-3 for the postseason.
Ryan Bono was the Manager, with Brent Fieser and John Miller serving as coaches.
Making up the roster were Rachel Lester, Acadia Graney, Katarra Thomas, Layla Holton, Cayden Hugh, Addison Bono, Bianca Vandenberg, Alana Luu, Samantha Bradley, Brynn Fieser, Faith Miller and Brooklyn Catalano.
