Boynton Bombers Send Florida
to World Series Championship
Four players homer to give Boynton Beach a 9-2 victory in U.S. Championship

By David Graham-Caso
Special Correspondent

Boynton Beach leadoff man Devon Travis pulled three pitches on Saturday evening.

The first, a line drive single to left.

The second, a grounder through the infield.

The third, a fly ball that didn’t seem to land for ages.

Travis’ two-run, frozen-rope shot into the left field bullpen in the fourth gave Florida a staggering six-run lead. That margin would be more than enough for the Boynton Beach Little Leaguers to become the United States champions of 2003.

In front of 36,500 vibrant Little League fans at Lamade stadium Saturday evening, Boynton Beach defeated the Saugus American Little League 9-2 in the U.S. Championship game.

“It feels good to be Number One,” said Travis.

The Florida second baseman entered Saturday’s nightcap hitting going 7-for-12 with one home run. He finished the U.S. Championship 3-for-3 with two RBI to raise his World Series clip to .667.

“Devon certainly has a great knack for hitting the baseball,” said manager Cody Emerson. “He is just an all-around athletic kid.”

“I went out to talk to my pitcher and he was looking at me funny,” recalled Saugus manager Rob Rochenski of Travis’ final at-bat. “So I just looked back at him and said ‘Hey, I don’t know how to get him out.’”

Boynton Beach scored twice in its half of the first. Both runs came across on a flare to center by Richie DeJesus. Travis and Jordan Irene both crossed on the single, giving Florida the early advantage.

Saugus got a run back in the top of the third. With one out and the bases juiced, six- foot slugger Matt Muldoon stepped to the plate. Muldoon sent a sharply hit grounder back up the middle that Boynton pitcher Cody Emerson was able to snare get the force at home. Catcher Andrew Weaver then threw to first to try to complete the double play. Weaver’s throw careened off the glove of first baseman Irene, allowing Dario Pizzano to score on the error.

Massachusetts starter Craig Cole surrendered a three-spot in the third. DeJesus drove in his third run of the game with a two-out single off the centerfield wall that scored Michael Broad from second. R.J. Neal then sent a hanging Cole curve toward the Pacific Ocean. Neal’s first home run of the tournament extended Boynton’s lead to 5-1.

“That home run really did it to us,” Rochenski said. “That was tough to recover from.

“This just wasn’t our night. Hats off to that Florida team,” the coach continued.

Broad and DeJesus collectively put the nail in the coffin for Florida in the fifth. The two sluggers sent back-to-back bombs out of the park to lead off the frame, giving Emerson a very comfortable 9-2 lead going into his final inning of work.

Emerson finished the game, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out nine.

“I knew that our bats would come through for us today,” the pitcher said.

For the second time in three years the Little League World Series Championship game will pit a Florida team against a squad from Japan. Boynton Beach will face Tokyo for the right to be known as the best Little League team in the world Sunday at 6:30 p.m. in Lamade Stadium.