BABE RUTH WORLD SERIES: Season wraps with winner’s bracket loss for Wilder Senior

Published 1:30 am Saturday, August 1, 2026

BRANSON, Mo. — Wilder Senior couldn’t prevent the big hit Sunday against the Southeast Missouri Perfectos and the North Olympic Peninsula team’s time at the 16-18 Babe Ruth World Series came to an end with a 9-3 defeat in the first round of the 12-team World Series bracket on Sunday at Ozark Mountain Sports Complex.

Southeast Missouri hitters recorded five extra-base hits, including an inside-the-park home run, two triples and two doubles and 13 total hits in the contest.

Four pitchers threw for Wilder Senior and they all allowed runs against the Perfectos.

Starter Ethan Swenson was unscathed early, but he hit a batter in the third inning and Southeast Missouri’s Cooper Kauffman made Wilder Senior pay with the first of his two triples. The Perfecto’s added a sacrifice fly and led 2-0 early.

The Perfectos put together a two-out rally in the top of the fourth scoring on an RBI double and an inside-the-park home run by leadoff hitter Gage Vanlandingham put Southeast Missouri up 5-0.

Trailing 6-0, Carston Seibel recorded a two-out RBI single for Wilder Senior in the bottom of the sixth, but Wilder gave back three runs to open the final frame.

Wilder Senior put a rally together in the bottom of the ninth when Owen Leitz grounded into a fielder’s choice and came home on Ethan Staples’ RBI triple to center field.

Connor Oase followed up with an RBI on a line drive base hit against Vanlandingham, who had come on in relief.

Brayden Martin and Bryce DeLeon also came through with base hits to load the bases with two outs.

Unfortunately, Oase was called out on the basepaths for offensive interference and Wilder’s shot at continuing its comeback and its summer season ended abruptly.

SEMO Perfectos 9, Wilder Senior 3

SEMO 0 0 2 3 0 1 3 — 9 13 0

Wild. 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 — 3 6 2

Williams 1-2, BB,; Seibel 1-3, RBI; Oase 1-3, RBI; Staples 1-2, 3B, R, RBI; DeLeon 1-3.

Swenson 3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, K; Dearinger IP, 5 H, 3 ER; Williams 2 IP, 3 H, ER, K; Doyle IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB.

Vanlandingham 2-4, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI; Kauffman 3-4, 2 3B, R, 2 RBI; Clary 2-3, 2B, BB, R; Holesapple 1-3, BB, 2B, R, RBI.

Thor 6.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K; Vanlandingham 0.2 IP, 3 H, K.

Saturday’s Game

The Wilder Senior Baseball Club got a three-hitter and 11 strikeouts from the duo of Brayden Martin and Kody Williams on Saturday against Mid-County SW (Nederland, Texas), but it wasn’t enough as the seniors fell 3-1 in the final game in pool play at the Babe Ruth 16-18 World Series.

Mid-County SW ended up winning the Pool C with a 4-0 record in pool play. Wilder Senior (19-13 overall) is 2-2 in pool play. A win would have given the seniors the Pool C top spot, but now they are in a three-way tie for second with Mexico and Stafford, Va.

Martin went 4⅓ innings, allowing two hits, two earned runs and three walks. He struck out nine. Williams pitched 1⅔ innings, allowing one hit and striking out two. Mid-County SW got all of its runs in the fifth inning on three walks, an error and a single. Other than that one innings, Martin and Williams were perfect in the game.

Wilder Senior managed just four hits in the pitchers’ duel. Bryce DeLeon had a double and an RBI. Willaims, Devyn Dearinger and Zach Debray all had singles. Owen Leitz stole a base and scored Wilder Senior’s lone run.

Mid-County SW 3, Wilder Sr. 1

WSr. 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 — 1 4 1

MCSW 0 0 0 0 3 0 x — 3 3 2

Pitching

WSr. — Martin 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K; Williams 1.2 IP, H, 2 K.

Hitting

WSr. — DeLeon 1-2, 2B, RBI, BB; Williams 1-3; Dearinger 1-3; DeBray 1-3; Leitz 0-3, R, SB.