El Segundo Little Leaguers Defeat Curacao To Clinch World Championship, 6-5

The El Segundo All-Stars defeated Curacao 6-5 Sunday on a walk-off homer from Louis Lappe.

The game itself was loaded with championship-worthy drama. The bats came alive for El Segundo early as they jumped out to a 5-1 lead going into the fifth inning.

That's when Curacao responded in kind, tying the game up with a grand slam.

In the bottom of the sixth, Lappe — the 6-foot-1 slugger who had been smashing the ball all tournament — strode to the plate. Then this happened:

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How they got here

The team had advanced to the international championship after defeating Needville, Texas, in the U.S. championship game on Saturday.

This year’s 12-and-under All-Star team was the first to make it to the crowning tournament since the El Segundo league started in 1954. Their opponents, Needville, Texas, handed El Segundo their only loss in the series on Monday.

Seeking redemption, El Segundo jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead on a first-inning home run by shortstop Brody Brooks.

El Segundo added two more in the third inning when Louis Lappe, a 6-foot-1 pitcher, drove in two with a double.

Texas scored a run in the fifth, but Lappe sealed the victory for El Segundo with a three-run homer in the bottom of the inning, capping off a commanding 6-1 victory. Lappe was also the winning pitcher.

Team vibes

The team has played together for the last three years. “There's a tremendous amount of trust among these boys,” said Nikki Boehle. Her husband is a coach and her son Quinn is a pitcher and outfielder. “I don't think any of them will ever give up until the, you know, the last out. So these kids are used to fighting and grinding it out.”