Moorpark Eliminated After Emotional Run

Moorpark’s flight on the wings of an angel came to an end Wednesday night, grounded by the towering drives of burly boys from Panama City, Fla.

Moorpark could have advanced to today’s national championship game at the Little League World Series by winning or by holding Panama City to less than seven runs in a loss. But a two-run home run in the fourth by Jeff Boutwell scored Panama City’s seventh and eighth runs in a game that eventually became a 10-2 rout before 15,000.

Moorpark was inspired throughout its postseason run by the memory of Joel Burchfield, a Moorpark Little Leaguer who drowned in a rain-swollen drainage canal Jan. 31. The players touched the large banner hung in the dugout as a tribute to their late friend one last time, then went on the field and scooped infield dirt into plastic bottles to take home as souvenirs.

“We were thrilled to be here, we are the best in the West,” said Moorpark’s Erik Johnson, who hit a home run in his last at-bat. “We got beat by a better team.”

Moorpark scored a run in the top of the first, but the scales tipped in Panama City’s direction in the bottom of the inning when Jody Posey and Josh Cooper weighed in.

A home run by the 165-pound Cooper followed a sharp single by the 189-pound Posey in the bottom of the first to erase Moorpark’s 1-0 lead. Chris Sison followed with a long blast over the left-field fence to give Panama City (20-3, 3-0 in the series) a 3-1 advantage.

Moorpark (20-5, 1-2) finished tied for second with Cranston, R.I. in U.S. pool play, but Cranston advances because it gave up 15 total runs to Moorpark’s 18.