Upper Loudoun Juniors Finish Southeast Regional Runner-Up After Hard-Fought Championship Battle
By Will Smith, Staff Writer for ULLL, with stats provided by GameChanger
BRIDGEWATER, Va. — The dream run came up just short, but the Upper Loudoun Junior All-Stars left everything on the field in Wednesday’s Southeast Region Championship game, falling 18-9 to Irmo Little League of Georgia.
Playing their fourth game in three days — clawing out of the elimination bracket and riding a wave of momentum — the boys from Upper Loudoun gave Georgia all they could handle. Despite jumping out to a five-run lead and trading blows in a dramatic, back-and-forth contest, Loudoun ultimately ran out of gas against a relentless Georgia lineup that put up 10 runs in the final two innings.
Upper Loudoun wasted no time striking first, stringing together four singles in the top of the first inning. Declan MacMillin opened the scoring, driving in a run with a base hit that gave Virginia’s champions an early jolt.
After Georgia briefly took the lead in the third behind a two-RBI single from Cole Johnson, Upper Loudoun answered with grit. Weston Hamilton’s RBI groundout reclaimed the advantage in the top of the fourth, and Charlie Awenowicz and James Bodoh added key RBIs in the fifth to push Loudoun back in front, 9-8.
But Georgia responded with championship-caliber resilience, exploding for five runs in the bottom of the fifth — then five more in the sixth — to pull away for good. Jayden Cannon led the charge for Georgia, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs and delivering the dagger late. Jaiden Center chipped in two more RBIs to put the game out of reach.
Upper Loudoun starter Peter Woodley battled for 3.1 innings, surrendering seven hits and eight runs (seven earned) while striking out two. Georgia’s Kaiden Harvey went four innings, allowing nine hits and seven runs while striking out six.
Offensively, Loudoun tallied 10 hits on the day. Bodoh came through in the clutch with three RBIs from the seven spot, while Awenowicz and Chase York each had two hits to pace the lineup. The defense stayed sharp with a well-executed double play in the middle innings.
Despite the loss, Upper Loudoun caps off a truly remarkable All-Star season with a 12-2 record, the only blemishes coming at the hands of the Southeast Region champs from Georgia. The team batted a scorching .364 over the course of the tournament and outscored opponents 124-68, showing a blend of offensive power, pitching depth, and heart that made the entire ULLL community proud.
They finish as the 2025 Southeast Region Juniors Little League Runner-Up, representing not only Upper Loudoun, but the entire Commonwealth of Virginia with class, passion, and sportsmanship.
To the players, coaches, and families — take a bow. This was a summer to remember.
Congratulations, Upper Loudoun Juniors. You’ve earned every cheer.