Lauzon sparks LaSalle

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BANGOR – He didn’t have to throw 165 pitches or 10-plus innings, but the result was just as tough for Bangor pitcher Josh Young.

Despite a sterling effort in which Bangor’s righthander tossed a three-hitter while striking out 10 batters and walking one, Canadian champion LaSalle, Ontario walked away with the victory.

LaSalle rode a similarly strong effort out of ace Jason Lauzon and took advantage of a Bangor error en route to a 1-0 win over Bangor in Sunday night’s opening round game of the Senior League World Series at a balmy Cameron Stadium.

The game for players ages 15-16 came almost one week after Young lost an extra-inning, 5-4 decision in an American Legion playoff game.

“This was a real battle. It felt like it was going to be one of those games early,” said coach Ralph Hall, whose LaSalle team will face Boynton Beach, Fla., Monday at 5 p.m. Bangor will next play Tuesday, against Boynton Beach at 8 p.m. in the round robin format.

After each starter retired nine of the first 10 batters they faced, Canada was able to scratch for a run. Jamie Pukay started things with a one-out chop single down the third base line which Young fielded on the run. He whirled and fired to first, but the throw was low and slightly wide, allowing Pukay to advance to second.

Paul Charbonneau then singled, but was retired on Vince Santia’s fielder’s choice grounder to second. Santia just beat out the throw to first as Pukay, the lone LaSalle runner to advance beyond second base, scored the unearned run.

“It was just a case of that one ball hit in the wrong spot and I had to hurry the throw,” said Young, who also led Bangor’s offense with two singles.

Bangor appeared poised to answer in the fifth as Young led off with a single and Tim Woodcock fouled off three two-strike pitches after failing on two bunt attempts and pulled out a walk in a nine-pitch at-bat. After Mike LaRochelle bunted the runners to second and third, the capacity crowd of about 2,000 fans got excited.

But Lauzon struck out the next hitter on four pitches and escaped the jam with a groundout to short.

Lauzon (three hits, two walks, three strikeouts) also benefited from great defense as Canada turned two double plays, one of which came after a Bangor runner was caught too far off second after Lauzon stabbed a weak liner in the air and doubled him off in the fourth.

“Over the past summer, our defense has risen along the way,” said Lauzon, now 7-0 in playoff action. “Our offense is weak, but our defense has won games for us.”

LASALLE, ONTARIO 1, BANGOR 0

LaSalle (1-0) Bangor (0-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Moses, 3b 3 0 0 0 Heath, ss 3 0 0

Dufour, ss 3 0 0 0 Hall, lf 3 0 0

Pukay, 2b 3 1 1 0 Gallant, lf 0 0 0

Charbonneau, lf 3 0 1 0 Hackett, 3b 3 0

Micallef, lf 0 0 0 0 Toomey, 3b 0 0 0

Santia, c 2 0 0 1 Dowe, 1b 3 0 0

Vandelinder, rf 0 0 0 0 Anderson, 1b 0 0

Lauzon, p 3 0 0 0 Young, p 3 0 0

Metylynsky, cf 3 0 0 0 Heber, cf 0 0

Byrne, rf 3 0 1 0 Woodcock, rf 1 0 0

Pandolfo, 1b 1 0 0 0 DeRosa, rf 0 0 0

a-Edwards 1 0 0 0 M.LaRochelle, cf 1 0

Willette, c 2 0 0 0

N.LaRochelle, 2b 2 0 0

Totals 25 1 3 1 Totals 21 0 3 0

a-struck out for Pandolfo in seventh

LaSalle 000 100 0 ? 1

Bangor 000 000 0 ? 0

E?Lauzon; Heath, Young; LOB?LaSalle 5; Bangor 3; DP?Lauzon-Pandolfo, Moses-Pandolfo; S?M. LaRochelle

LaSalle IP H R ER BB SO

Lauzon (W) 7 3 0 0 2 5

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

Young (L) 7 3 1 0 2 10

T? 1:28; ATT? 2,000 (est.)