West Boca Shuts Out Dwyer For 6A-13 Championship

The 2023 District 6A-13 champion West Boca Bulls.

James Litman delivered his greatest performance of the season at the perfect time, as the West Boca junior tossed a complete-game shutout to lead the Bulls to a 6-0 win over the Dwyer Panthers in Thursday’s District 6A-13 championship.

It is the second straight district title for the Bulls (16-8), and the seventh overall in program history. It is also the second time the Bulls have won back-to-back titles, having also done it in 2010 and 2011.

“We are very happy with the way this team has hit stride this week,” West Boca Manager Jerry Albert said. “It’s our first year with them, so there has been a lot for them to do to get to where we are now. But the kids have been great and their attitude is fantastic. So it’s an easy group to be happy for. They are a lot of fun to coach ans they love baseball. It’s a great feeling to get to where we are right now. We just have to keep it rolling.”

Litman piled up 10 strikeouts without issuing any walks, while scattering four hits and hitting one batter for his first complete-game of the season and second in his career. It is the third time this season that Litman (5-3) has struck out 10 batters.

“James was terrific,” Albert said. “Actually, there are a good number of superlatives you could attach to his names tonight. He was so fluid and confident. He was outstanding; absolutely dominant.”

The Panthers (16-7-2) managed just five base runners. Matt Davis, Kris Blanks, Lucas Herbst and Sam Wallace each had a base hit, and Trevor Majer was hit by a pitch.

The Bulls supplied more than enough offense to back their starter. A pair of runs in the second provided all the necessary cushion, and they added another in the fourth and capped it off with three runs in the top of the seventh that effectively sealed the victory. Junior Aden Kovacs was 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs, while senior Pier Figueroa was 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a run and junior Kristopher Goldstein added a pair of RBI. Juniors Derek Campbell and Matt Pagan both went 1-for-3 with a run.

“The team really kept it simple – executing one at bat at a time and scrapping away to get the runs across,” Albert said. “Aden had three hits in the middle of everything, and Chico and Pier came up big with key hits as well. We ran the bases very well tonight. The first two runs were instinctive and both A.K. and Derek executed perfectly.”

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