BOURNEMOUTH Bears lost out in the semi-final of the AAA play-offs on Sunday, going down 9-4 to a strong East London Latin Boys side.

It was a close game throughout, until six runs in the final inning put the game just too far beyond reach for the Bears.

The defeat brings the season to a close for AAA, but they can look back with pride on a 21-7 record which saw them win a close fought South West Division.

On a day which showcased the defensive quality of both teams, there was only one run scored through six innings. A series of double plays prevented Bournemouth from bringing runners home throughout the game, with the East London infield showing calmness under pressure.

Not to be outdone, the Bears also showed off their talent and experience, Ben Hyde cleverly worked a double play in the first inning by faking a catch, tagging the base at second and throwing the runner out at first.

Carlos Vazquez also pulled off one of the plays of the game, taking a rasping line drive at full stretch down the third base line, whilst Rafa Ugas hauled in a diving catch in the outfield to deny the Londoners a hit.

However, it was East London who started to put runs on the board in the seventh inning, Aleudy Santana hit the first of two runs for the local side to make the score 3-0. Then in the ninth inning Adonis Galvez Rodriguez hit a three run line drive homer to left field to put the game just beyond reach.

The Bears battled and put four runs on the board to finish the game, with Williams Vega capping a decent day at the plate with an RBI single. However, it was too late for the south coast team and they could not claw back the deficit. East London will move on to play the London Metros in the final after they beat Richmond 8-4.

An inter-squad friendly will see both AAA and Single A players have one final swing of the bat on Sunday as the off-season approaches.

If anyone is interested in playing baseball, joining the Bears or would just like more details on how to watch baseball in the UK then visit the club's website bournemouthbaseball.co.uk or the Bournemouth Bears Facebook page.