Venezuela defeated Team USA, 3-2, in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) final Tuesday, and the game was historic in more ways than one.

Venezuela won its first-ever WBC title, and players flooded the field with emotion and pride as they celebrated the thrilling victory. 

History was also made during the telecast when 10,784,000 viewers watched the final on FOX and FOX Deportes. 

It became the most-watched WBC telecast of all time. 

The telecast averaged 10,228,000 viewers, while hitting its peak at 12,148,000 from 10:30-10:45 p.m. ET on FOX. 

This number was up 128% from the Team USA-Japan WBC final on FS1 during the 2023 tournament, when Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout to seal a third WBC win for his country. 

TRUMP RAISES EYEBROWS WITH ‘STATEHOOD’ COMMENT AFTER VENEZUELA BEATS THE US IN WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC

While this game had all the thrills, the WBC turned out to be an exciting tournament from the very start with pool play. 

Whether it was feel-good stories like Ondřej Satoria’s standing ovation from Japanese fans at the Tokyo Dome during his final outing for Czechia or Italy’s espresso machine home run celebration, viewers from all over were tuning in to watch magic happen on the diamond.  

The tournament averaged 1,294,000 viewers across FOX, FS1 and FS2, making it the most-watched WBC in its 20-year history on English language networks. 

It looked like Venezuela was going to shut out Team USA, which had just two hits and four base runners in the bottom of the eighth inning when Bryce Harper walked to the plate. 

The game turned on its head when Harper belted a two-run homer to tie the game during the peak viewing window. 

Venezuela, though, never blinked. Eugenio Suarez hit a rope to left-center field, scoring the game-winning run with a double.

Daniel Palencia closed things out for Venezuela, sealing the win with a strikeout of Roman Anthony. The party ensued for Venezuela at loanDepot Park. 

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Thursday’s Results

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

North Hollywood 5, Granada Hills Kennedy 3

Sun Valley Poly 11, Sylmar 9

Verdugo Hills 5, San Fernando 3

WISH Academy 11, Washington Prep 5

SOUTHERN SECTION

Adelanto 6, Granite Hills 4

Alhambra 10, Schurr 2

Animo Leadership 6, Compton Early College 3

Arroyo 14, Glendale 0

Banning 9, Yucca Valley 8

Beverly Hills 13, Lennox Academy 3

Bloomington 10, Carter 0

Buckley 7, Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 6

Campbell Hall 6, Brentwood 1

Chaparral 8, Citrus Valley 3

Charter Oak 3, El Rancho 2

Chino 7, Don Lugo 1

Compton Centennial 7, Lawndale 5

Covina 9, Pasadena Marshall 8

Diamond Ranch 5, Chaffey 4

Eisenhower 2, Colton 1

Environmental Charter 13, Ambassador 6

Etiwanda 2, Santa Ana Foothill 0

Gabrielino 23, Southlands Christian 4

Garden Grove 14, Rancho Alamitos 1

Glendora 14, Western Christian 3

Grace 29, Santa Clara 2

Grand Terrace 12, Arroyo Valley 0

Heritage Christian 12, Village Christian 1

La Mirada 7, Aliso Niguel 1

La Quinta 11, Rancho Mirage 0

Leuzinger 4, Culver City 3

Maranatha 12, Whittier Christian 4

Milken 4, Burbank Providence 1

Montebello 18, San Gabriel 0

Newbury Park 7, Buena 1

Norwalk 8, Sante Fe 3

Ontario 6, Montclair 3

Orange County Pacifica Christian 7, Laguna Beach 4

Palm Springs 17, Xavier Prep 4

Palo Verde 8, Bellflower 7

Redlands 15, Hesperia Christian 0

Redlands East Valley 18, Silverado 1

Rolling Hills Prep 13, HMSA 4

Rowland 3, Diamond Bar 1

San Juan Hills 11, Riverside Prep 10

Santa Clarita Christian 4, Desert Christian 0

Santa Monica 8, Calabasas 4

Santa Rosa Academy 9, San Jacinto Valley Academy 8

Shadow Hills 5, Palm Desert 3

South Hills 11, Los Altos 3

Summit 5, Rialto 1

Temecula Prep 14, SJDLCS 1

Temecula Valley 11, Trabuco Hills 0

Temescal Canyon 5, San Dimas 3

Trinity Classical Academy 7, Castaic 3

Twentynine Palms 4, AAE 2

Victory Valley 4, Barstow 3

Webb 16 La Puente 2

West Torrance 9, New Roads 0

West Valley 14, San Jacinto 4

INTERSECTIONAL

Borrego Springs 12, Anza Hamilton 0

Colorado Legend 10, La Habra 5

Eagle Rock 19, CALS Early College 1

Fullerton 14, Colorado Mullen 4

Gahr 7, Utah American Fork 1

Inglewood 16, Dorsey 1

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 7, Port of LA 4

WISH Academy 11, Washington Prep 5

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

Animo Robinson 24, Animo Watts 14

Bell 11, Huntington Park 6

Bernstein 25, Contreras 12

Central City Value 18, Vaughn 14

Dorsey 21, Dymally 0

East Valley 20, Panorama 4

Garfield 6, LA Roosevelt 2

Hollywood 18, Belmont 5

Mendez 20, Roybal 8

SOCES 15, Northridge Academy 4

Triumph Charter 19, Bert Corona 1

Westchester 15, Narbonne 13

SOUTHERN SECTION

Alhambra 16, Mark Keppel 0

Aliso Niguel 4, El Toro 1

Alta Loma 6, Citrus Valley 2

Arrowhead Christian 19, Woodcrest Christian 2

Barstow 4, Victor valley 2

Beaumont 7, Rancho Verde 1

Bonita 20, Claremont 6

California 5, Sante Fe 4

Cantwell-Sacred Heart 5, Bishop Conaty-Loretto 2

Castaic 13, Golden Valley 4

Chadwick 22, Westridge 1

Chaffey 9, Diamond Ranch 0

Chaminade 7, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 6

Coastal Academy 9, Mayfield 0

Crescenta Valley 23, Hoover 0

Cypress 3, Segerstrom 0

Desert Christian Academy 11, California Military Institute 10

Don Lugo 3, Chino 2

Eastside 11, Littlerock 4

El Cajon Christian 8, Trabuco Hills 2

El Dorado 10, Mayfair 0

El Modena 9, La Habra 6

El Rancho 15, Arroyo 5

Fillmore 15, Channel Islands 4

Firebaugh 19, Hawthorne 13

Fontana 11, Bethel Christian 2

Foothill Tech 12, Bishop Diego 0

Fullerton 6, Los Altos 1

Garden Grove Pacifica 4, Anaheim Canyon 1

Gahr 10, Cerritos 0

Garden Grove 11, Westminster 1

Granite Hills 12, Adelanto 4

Hemet 16, United Christian Academy 5

Hesperia Christian 17, Immanuel Christian 2

Highland 2, Quartz Hill 1

Indio 18, Lakeside 1

Indio 14, Temecula Prep 1

Irvine University 9, San Marino 8

Jurupa Hills 16, San Gorgonio 0

Kaiser 14, Grand Terrace 5

Knight 14, Antelope Valley 1

Lakeside 7, San Jacinto 6

La Mirada 5, Valley Christian 0

La Quinta 10, Rancho Mirage 0

La Salle 13, Mary Star of the Sea 2

La Serna 16, Whittier 4

Lennox Academy 14, Compton Early College 8

Leuzinger 9, Culver City 6

Liberty 10, Linfield Christian 4

Los Alamitos 6, Huntington Beach 5

Marina 6, Edison 0

Millikan 9, Lakewood 0

Mira Costa 9, Bishop Montgomery 8

Mission Viejo 2, El Cajon Christian 1

Moorpark 14, Royal 2

Moreno Valley 9, Vista del Lago 6

Muir 18, Glendale 3

Murrieta Valley 15, Chaparral 5

Newport Harbor 7, Corona del Mar 4

North Torrance 6, Santa Monica 1

Northwood 8, Irvine 0

Oak Park 5, Camarillo 4

Ontario 5, Montclair 0

Oxnard 5, Buena 1

Paloma Valley 15, Tahquitz 2

Palos Verdes 4, El Segundo 0

Paraclete 9, Lakewood St. Joseph 4

Pasadena 19, Immaculate Heart 8

Pasadena Poly 10, Flintridge Prep 0

Rialto 18, Eisenhower 8

Ridgecrest Burroughs 31, Silver Valley 1

Riverside Notre Dame 6, United Christian Academy 0

Riverside Poly 2, Shadow Ridge 0

San Jacinto 15, Temecula Prep 1

San Juan Hills 8, Tesoro 5

Santa Ana Foothill 17, Esperanza 0

Santa Paula 18, Nordhoff 1

Saugus 3, Valencia 2

Schurr 25, San Gabriel 0

Shadow Hills 21, Palm Desert 14

Shadow Ridge 8, Louisville 4

Simi Valley 5, Newbury Park 4

St. Bernard d. San Gabriel Mission, forfeit

St. Bonaventure 20, Del Sol 0

St. Monica 16, St. Anthony 2

St. Paul 10, Bishop Amat 0

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 18, Gardena Serra 5

Summit 20, Arroyo Valley 0

Temecula Valley 4, Great Oak 2

Viewpoint 10, Brentwood 0

Warren 9, La Palma Kennedy 1

West Covina 9, Southlands Christian 8

Western Christian 16, San Dimas 15

West Ranch 13, Canyon Country Canyon 4

Whittier Christian 3, Maranatha 1

Windward 11, Archer 8

Yucaipa 5, Rancho Cucamonga 3

Yucca Valley 19, Banning 9

INTERSECTIONAL

Anza Hamilton 10, Borrego Springs 0

Eagle Rock 6, Alemany 4

Harvard-Westlake 6, El Camino Real 3

Nevada Bishop Gorman 5, Mission Viejo 1

Nevada Spanish Springs 7, Carson 4

Rio Hondo Prep 3, San Diego 2

Riverside Poly 9, Nevada Reed 0

San Fernando 4, Tri-City Christian 3

Sierra Canyon 17, Nevada Douglas 0

Sierra Canyon 3, Nevada Reed 2

Sun Valley Magnet 7, Lakeview Charter 6

Thousand Oaks 9, Granada Hills 4

Torrance 7, Legacy 2

Trabuco Hills 4, Nevada Bishop Gorman 4

Utah Lehi 10, Carson 5

As San Jose State University approaches a critical deadline in its Title IX conflict against President Donald Trump’s administration, another woman who was affected by the school’s 2024 volleyball scandal has come forward. 

Former University of Wyoming volleyball star Macey Boggs said her team had been “torn apart” over a decision of whether to forfeit two matches to SJSU in 2024. The Spartans were embroiled in a national controversy at that time due to the presence of a biological male transgender athlete on the roster. 

Boggs said in a recent interview the players had found out about the trans player, whom they had competed against two years earlier, in the spring of 2024. When the fall rolled around, the locker room became a hive of tension and nerves due to the two scheduled matches between Wyoming and SJSU, and disagreements about whether to forfeit or not. 

“You could tell that things got a little bit hostile,” Boggs told Fox News Digital.

“In between the whispering between each other’s back, and then we were no longer one team, one unit, it was like these two separate islands.” 

Friendships were permanently ruined for Boggs and the rest of the Cowgirls, she said. 

“Yeah,” Boggs said when asked if the situation “permanently ruined friendships.” 

“There were some of the girls who I really enjoyed, and we got along great, and then this situation came up, some conflict came up, and ultimately we went in separate directions because of that … as soon as we played in our last game, we all went in separate directions… it was hard to maintain those relationships.” 

How did it get to that point? 

The first Mountain West team to forfeit to SJSU that year was Utah State, becoming the first of five conference teams to do so. 

Former Utah State star Kaylie Ray previously told Fox News Digital that the decision was left up to a player poll, and the majority of players voted to forfeit. 

Wyoming also left the decision up to a player vote, per Boggs. But that vote had troubling outcome for her. 

“It was said that it was up to the players. So we took an anonymous vote, it ended up we were going to play because most of the girls on my team wanted to play,” Boggs said. But she and others weren’t going to play anyway, regardless of the vote.

FORMER SJSU VOLLEYBALL STAR OPENS UP ON LIVING WITH TRANS TEAMMATE WITHOUT KNOWING ATHLETE’S BIOLOGICAL SEX

“There were a few of us who were like, ‘We’re not gonna play.’ So we decided we’re not gonna play. . . . There was a lot of conflict within the team . . . and it was not something you should have to deal with on your team. . . . It just seems so silly and something that tore apart the team.” 

The divide came with several difficult conversations for Boggs. 

But most of the conversations weren’t necessarily ideological, over whether males should be able to play in women’s sports. Boggs said the conversations were mostly about the pain of taking two losses on their record, when they were all working so hard to make the playoffs.

It was especially hard for the seniors. 

“One of the hardest conversations, there were two, one of them was a fellow senior and she said, ‘This is my fellow senior year, I don’t want it to be ruined by this. And I fully resonated with that because it was also my senior year, and it was ruined by that,” Boggs said. 

“One girl was doing really well statistically in the Mountain West and the NCAA and she mentioned, ‘how is this going to affect my stats?’ And that didn’t settle well for me because I was like, ‘OK, that’s kind of selfish.’

“I understood where she was coming from … but ultimately it’s a bigger issue.” 

Boggs and the players who were determined not to play the game were preparing to tell the coaches of their intent. 

But just then, prior to the first match between Wyoming and SJSU on Oct. 5 of that year, the players were called into another meeting, Boggs said.

‘HORRIBLE’ MOMENTS EXPOSED FOR UNR VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS WHEN THEY WERE ROPED INTO THE SJSU TITLE IX SCANDAL

Boggs claims that Wyoming Athletic Director Tom Burman told them they were encouraged by the Wyoming state government to forfeit the game, but Burman made the final decision on the forfeit

“By the time it was time to tell the coaches, we had another meeting… It was told to us by our AD Tom Burman, so he was the one who said, ‘this is the decision that has been made, it’s been taken out of your guys’ hands. And I’m so grateful for that,” Boggs said. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to University of Wyoming Athletics and Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon’s office for a response. 

Public records show the university faced “outside pressure” to forfeit the match, according to WyoFile.

Gordon commended the forfeit in a statement at the time. 

“I am in full support of the decision by Wyoming Athletics to forego playing its volleyball match against San Jose State. It is important we stand for integrity and fairness in female athletics,” Gordon said. 

The dispute was resolved. But the consequences remain.

Wyoming went on to finish the season 17-13, losing six of their last nine games. They finished two games out of the final spot in the conference tournament, and would have made the tournament had they won their two games against SJSU. It was Boggs and other seniors’ last chance to make the tournament in their Wyoming careers. 

Within the locker room, the disagreements over initial vote left rifts. Boggs and the women on her side dug their heels in deeper. 

In November of that year, Boggs and teammates Sierra Grizzle and Jordan Sandy joined former SJSU volleyball star Brooke Slusser’s lawsuit against the Mountain West Conference. Slusser initially brought the scandal into the national spotlight that September, when she joined Riley Gaines’ lawsuit against the NCAA, with Slusser citing her experience playing with and rooming with trans teammate Blaire Fleming without ever being officially told of Fleming’s birth sex. 

Boggs, Grizzle and Sandy joined Slusser and seven other conference players in suing the Mountain West and representative of SJSU and the California State University (CSU) system.

Boggs said the decision to take things that far earned the respect of teammates who initially voted to play the game. 

Once they joined, Boggs said she told her other teammates, “‘Hey, can we talk to you guys? We’ve decided to join this lawsuit, and this is why.”

“And after that, they like totally understood . . . I think that standing up for something can be extremely scary, and something you need to be very brave and bold in.”

FORMER COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL STAR KAYLIE RAY OPENS UP ON VIRAL CLASH WITH ARIZONA DEMOCRAT SENATOR

The Slusser v Mountain West lawsuit was partially dismissed by federal judge Kato Crews earlier in March, with all charges being dismissed against the Mountain West. 

However, Title IX claims and representatives of SJSU and CSU were not dismissed. Crews is reserving a ruling on those charges until after the ruling in the ongoing B.P.J. v West Virginia Supreme Court case over trans athletes in women’s sports, and the Title IX implications. 

At the same time, SJSU and CSU are waging a legal war of resistance to the Trump administration’s efforts to get SJSU to resolve its alleged Title IX violations for how it handled Fleming.

After the U.S. Department of Education announced an investigation determined that SJSU violated Title IX, and offered a series of compliance points to resolve it, SJSU and CSU sued the federal government to challenge the findings. 

“I laughed,” Boggs said, when she heard the news of SJSU’s lawsuit. “That seems like something that is a little bit silly. I truly believe that we even shouldn’t be having lawsuits centered around men in women’s sports.” 

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon responded to the lawsuits on March 11, giving the institutions a deadline of 10 days to come to an agreement or risk federal funding cuts and a referral to the U.S. Department of Justice.

With that deadline coming up within a week, Boggs is the latest woman to have been impacted by the scandal to speak out about the experience, joining Slusser and Ray. 

Both Slusser and Ray have gone viral on social media in recent weeks after speaking out, prompting criticism and even online insults from people with pro-transgender views.

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Boggs said she’s faced online attacks from the other side ever since her decision to forfeit and join the lawsuit in 2024, and she is prepared to face more, if necessary. 

“I will bare the weight all day, I will take any hate that has to come, because I truly believe in this. If you have to say these crazy things, I would rather you say them to me than those girls that I am fighting with.” 

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