SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) 鈥� Everything seemed to be going Texas鈥� way.
The Southwest region champ was ahead 4-0 over Florida in the third inning Saturday in the U.S. bracket title game at the Little League World Series. Starting pitcher Julian Hurst hadn鈥檛 given up a hit, much less a run, and had beaten the team from Florida last Monday.
Then things got crazy. Three lead changes later, Florida is headed to LLWS championship on Sunday. Luis Calo hit a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth inning as Lake Mary, Florida, beat Boerne, Texas, 10-7 in a semifinal matchup.
鈥淲e鈥檝e prepared for this, we鈥檝e worked for this,鈥� manager Jonathan Anderson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been our summer.鈥�
Florida, the Southeast region representative, will take on Taiwan, a 4-1 winner over Venezuela, on Sunday afternoon. It will be the first appearance by a Florida team in the title game since 2003, when East Boynton Beach fell to Musashi-Fuchi of Japan, 10-1.
Texas seemed in control after Doc Mogford hit a two-run double past the outstretched glove of Jacob Bibaud, which made it 4-0.
Florida鈥檚 comeback started an inning later, when James Feliciano got a pop-up to drop for an RBI single. An inning after that, Teraj Alexander capped a four-run rally when he stole home, giving Florida its first lead of the game, 5-4.
鈥淚 saw the catcher was looking into the hill,鈥� Teraj said. 鈥淚 just started creeping. Then once I thought I had it, like 100%, I just took off.鈥�
After Texas rallied for three runs, Florida came into its final at-bat in the sixth inning down 7-5.
But Jacob Bibaud hit a ground ball that bounced through the infield, bringing in James Feliciano and cutting the lead to 7-6. A sacrifice fly from Liam Morrisey brought in Garrett Rohozen to tie the game.
After Luis smacked his go-ahead hit, Liam 鈥� in as a courtesy runner 鈥� stole third and went to score when an error left the ball loose down the third base line.
鈥淚 know I pushed them hard, and I know I told them that that work would get them to the promised land. And I鈥檓 sure they didn鈥檛 believe me,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淏ut here we are, boys, here we are. Job鈥檚 not done. We got one more. But boy, are we close.鈥�
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Avery Hill is a student in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.
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AP sports:
Avery Hill, The Associated Press
