Bowling Green East falls in semifinal matchup with Illinois

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – After starting play 2-0 in the Great Lakes Regional Tournament, the Bowling Green East little league squad dropped their semifinal matchup with Illinois in extra innings by a final score of 3-2.

Things were smooth sailing for East for the majority of the contest, mostly in part to an excellent pitching performance by Kip Walden, who went five strong innings for his team.

Walden was able to strand the bases loaded not once, but twice in the contest, and he kept his cool in dominant fashion with nine strikeouts against Illinois hitters.

Bowling Green was able to get out front in the top of the second inning, after Captain Carr doubled, and was later brought in by a single from Brady Boyd.

The team added an insurance run in the top half of the fifth inning, as Asa Buchanan scored on an errant throw from Illinois, but that would be the end of the offense for Bowling Green in this game.

Going into the final frame ahead by a pair of runs, East was in need of just three outs to advance to Wednesday’s championship game, but the opposing team had other plans, scoring both runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, and after Bowling Green failed to produce a run in the top half of the seventh, Illinois was able to walk things off with an RBI double from Emiliano Nepomuceno.

This marks the first postseason loss for East throughout district, state, and regional play, but does not end their journey to Williamsport, as they are back at it tomorrow in an elimination game against Indiana.

The team will hit the field at noon local time, looking to stay alive and clinch a berth in the championship game.

Fans who aren’t heading to Whitestown, Indiana for the contest can watch live on ESPN.