Patriots Look to Bounce Back After Tough Loss to Boerne-Champion
The Veterans Memorial Varsity Patriots faced a difficult test on Tuesday night, falling 10-0 to a disciplined Boerne-Champion team. The Chargers established momentum early, jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning by capitalizing on a combination of timely hitting and defensive miscues. Boerne-Champion’s offense remained aggressive in the second, extending their lead to 5-0 and forcing the Patriots to play from behind for the remainder of the contest.

Right-hander Ulrich took the mound for the Patriots, battling through three innings and racking up five strikeouts. While the final scoreline was lopsided, the box score tells a story of "what could have been"; of the nine runs surrendered during Ulrich’s outing, only three were earned. Despite the defensive struggles, the Patriots' pitching staff showed grit, but they were unable to slow down a Charger lineup that proved patient at the plate and aggressive on the base paths with five stolen bases.

Offensively, the Patriots found it difficult to find a rhythm against Boerne-Champion’s starter, who struck out nine. However, Veterans Memorial refused to go down without a fight, seeing base hits from Cooper, Mata, and Basile. While the Patriots managed to put runners on, they couldn't find the breakthrough hit needed to close the gap against a Charger defense that played error-free baseball.

Though Tuesday was a setback, the Patriots are already turning their focus to the future. The team will look to shake off the loss and find their winning form on the road this week. Veterans Memorial heads to Burbank this Thursday, where they aim to get back in the win column and carry that momentum into the rest of the season.