The Slidell Longhorns, a 13-year old Slidell Bantam Baseball all-star team, were down 5-0 after three innings in the title game of the USSSA All-Star State Tournament, but came back with seven unanswered and captured the championship 7-5 over Livingston Parish Recreation Sunday at SBBA.

Slidell (9-5) went 4-0 for the tournament with five teams competing in the age group. The teams played either one hour and 40 minutes or seven innings except in the title game where they competed for seven innings.

In the championship game, the Longhorns trailed 5-0 after three innings after LPR scored one in the first and added three more in the third inning.

The Slidell Longhorns, a 13-year old SBBA team, won the state title on Sunday in a 7-5 comeback victory over Livingston Parish Recreation. From left, first row: D.J. Bruno, Blake Walker, coach Charlie Clavier, Nick Corso and Jason Schellang; second row: Ryan Rumpza, Michael McKinney, Dillon Colgin, Taylor Roussell, Dylan Brune, Nathan McManus, Tyler Oulliber and Steven Dieck; third row: Head coach Corey Walker and coach Bobby Roussell.

Pitcher Michael McKinney, who threw a complete game with five strikeouts, talked about being down by five runs after three innings.

“I’m thinking I need to hold them back a little bit,” McKinney said. “Five runs is a lot to get and I didn’t want to put my team in a bigger hole.”

In the top of the fourth, Slidell began its comeback by scoring four runs. Dillion Colgin and Taylor Roussell sandwiched singles around a walk to Tyler Oulliber. That set up Nathan McManus and he hit a bases clearing double to make it 5-3.

After the next two players made outs, D.J. Bruno came up with an RBI single to make it 5-4.

The scored stayed that way until the sixth inning when the Longhorns put up three runs. Colgin led off with a single. After a strikeout, Roussell and McManus singled to load the bases. Blake Walker hit a groundball to the shortstop, but McManus beat the throw to second and the relay throw to get Walker was not in time and the game was tied at 5-5. Slidell took the lead when Steven Dieck forced Walker at second base and Roussell scored to make it 6-5 and a bad relay throw to first allowed the Longhorns to tally an insurance run and it was 7-5.

McKinney made it stand up as he held LPR scoreless over the final four innings. He threw a complete game and struck out five.

McKinney said his off speed pitches were working the best for him, in particular his changeup, but he also credited his fielders.

“The defense really helped me out,” he said.

In the sixth inning, with a runner on first, Roussell made a diving catch at third and doubled off the runner.

In the seventh, the middle infielders flashed some leather. Second baseman Walker made a backhanded stop and threw a runner out at first. Also in the frame, McKinney had a ball hit back at him that deflected off his glove, but shortstop Nick Corso got to the ball and threw the batter out by a step.

Roussell, who said it was his first state title victory, talked about the celebration afterward.

“We all went onto the pitcher’s mound and almost did a dog pile. Our coach (Corey Walker) ran out there with us. We also threw water on top of him,” Roussell said.

Coach Walker said he was proud of the way his squad continued to battle.

“They played as an absolute team,” Walker said. “They were unselfish and pulled together as a team. I’m extremely proud.”

The Longhorns played two pool-play games on Saturday. They won the first one 8-5 over the St. John Warriors. Corso and Roussell combined on the victory totaling three strikeouts in the four-inning contest. They came back and defeated the Ascension Gators 15-1.

Ryan Rumpza threw a complete-game (four innings) one hitter with six strikeouts and one walk. The Gators scored their run on a balk.

Slidell was the No. 2 seed heading into bracket play.

The Longhorns began bracket play by defeating St. John 5-2.

Rousssell threw a five-inning complete game four hitter with seven strikeouts. That victory set up the championship game against LPR.