The Goshen 15U All-Star team began their run at a World Series title Thursday when they took on Rose Pine in Independence, Louisiana.

Goshen and Rose Pine battled all game long, but it was Rose Pine pulled out the win with a game-winning base hit up the middle in the bottom of the fifth and final inning.

“We were in it; we just slipped up a little bit,” said Goshen head coach Justin Sanders. “They had a Texas Leaguer up the middle to win the game. They were a good team. Probably one of the better teams in the tournament, but I consider us one of the better teams in the tournament.”

Goshen is one of 21 teams to make up the 2017 field. The participants in the tournament are broken up into four pools of four teams, except for one pool of five teams.

Each team will play each opponent in their pool and at the end of pool play, the pool winners will take part in the single-elimination portion of the schedule Sunday.

Goshen is one of four teams in Pool B along with Rose Pine, Parkwood and Havana.

“We have to win our two and hope they (Rose Pine) stub their toe one time to get us into the playoff on Sunday,” Sanders said. “They are staying positive and they have their heads up. They know that we still have a shot at it if we win the next two. They are ready to go.”

Holt Steed got the start on the mound for Goshen, followed up by Payne Griffin and McGuire Stanley.

The three pitchers combined to give up just five hits during the game and struck out six batters.

“I think our guys looked good,” Sanders said. “We were just hitting our spots well.”

Goshen jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. Stanley and Caleb Gamble got on base via a walk and a single and both came around to score the game’s first runs.

Jeff Warrick reached base on an error to lead off the second and came around to score, as did Bryan Galloway who reached on a double.

Rose Pine answered in the second inning and scored two runs to cut Goshen’s lead to 4-2 on one hit and two walks.

Rose Pine evened the game at four in the third when they had three more walks and a base hit.

In the fourth, Goshen regained the lead when Gamble doubled in Galloway, who had reached base on a single.

Rose Pine had three straight singles in the bottom of the fourth to once again even the score.

Goshen got the first two of the outs fairly quickly in the fifth, but another walk followed by a fielder’s choice set the table for a walk-off hit for Rose Pine.

Goshen will take on Havana in a must-win game this afternoon beginning at 2 p.m.

“We have to keep playing like we have been playing,” Sanders said. “Pitching has to step up and we just have to keep playing ball.”