A baseball game is not divided into halves like some sports are. But if it were, the Greater Loudoun Lions went into halftime with all the momentum and came out with a bad case of the fumbles.

In the second day of pool play on Sunday, the Lions scored the first three runs but committed five errors in falling 11-6 to Waite Park, Minn. in the 14-year-old Babe Ruth World Series at Fireman’s Field in Purcellville.

“I thought we were a little flat today. Last night might have taken a lot out of us,” said Lions manager Mike Stup, referring to his team’s 4-2 win over Bryant, Ark. on Saturday night. “We had a great round of BP and we were ready to go [today], but we might have used up our adrenaline.”

The first four innings were to Stup’s liking, as right-handed starter Ethan Carlyon tossed three scoreless frames and lefty reliever AJ Bourscheid cruised smoothly through the fourth.

“He’s had a good run for us, and I thought tonight he’d be the freshest I’d have him all tournament,” said Stup of Carlyon. “He pitched well.”

Meanwhile, Lion batters plated a run in the first on Josh Sweet’s RBI fielder’s choice, then added a pair in the third on an error and a lined RBI single off Zack Hopeck’s bat.

But when the teams figuratively came out of the tunnel for the second half, Greater Loudoun (1-1) saw the wheels fall off.

Waite Park (2-0) scored three in the fifth to tie, then sent 11 men to the dish in a five-hit, seven-run sixth inning for a 10-3 advantage.

The key play of the inning—and of the game—was a sacrifice bunt which pitcher Hopeck fielded, whirled and rifled toward third base to force out the lead runner.

The throw sailed well wide of the bag and down the left field line, letting two runners come around for a 5-3 Waite Park lead.

Greater Loudoun answered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. The Lions’ Reid Frazier tripled deep to left-center to drive in a run, then scored on a Waite Park error. Brandall Peters knocked in another with a sacrifice fly.

It would be all the local kids would get, as Waite Park pitchers Brian Minks and Isaac Matchinsky combined to keep the host squad at bay.

Minks earned the win, going five-plus innings. Hopeck threw one rough inning and was saddled with the loss.

Brandon Grayson was a star for the Lions, contributing a single, a walk, a stolen base and a spectacular leaping catch of a liner from his shortstop position. Ryan Wilson stole a pair of bases.

Despite going 1 for 4, Hopeck hit the ball hard in each at-bat, lining out to short and to center.

Greater Loudoun used six pitchers in the game. They combined to issue seven walks and hit two Waite Park batters, and were betrayed by a defense that committed all five errors in the game’s second half.

“I think we just got tired,” Stup said. “That’s uncharacteristic for our team. Normally our defense is pretty solid, but that number in the error column didn’t look like it tonight.”

The Lions are back in action Monday at 8 p.m. when they take on the New England champion from Arlington, Mass., who will enter the contest with a 0-1 mark.

“I told them to keep their heads up, that they got a lot of fight and a lot of spirit,” said Stup about his post-game comments to his players. “It’s baseball, it’s life, things happen, and we’ll come out tomorrow and hit the ball around the park.”

-Click here for Babe Ruth World Series scores, schedule and standings.