Texans spring 7th inning trap

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BANGOR – Braxton Watson didn’t see the seventh-inning play that changed the complexion of Monday’s Senior League World Series game, helped turn him into a winning pitcher, and propelled his Southwest Region champs to an 11-5 win at Mansfield Stadium.

He didn’t see Spring, Texas, teammate Matt Harughty swing at a pitch and fly out to left field for what appeared to be the second out of the inning.

He didn’t see Harughty’s bat nick the Curacao catcher’s mitt.

He missed it all.

“I wasn’t seeing it. I was too busy sitting in the corner with my eyes closed,” said Watson.

Sitting … and waiting to find out if his teammates would give him the chance to take the mound in the bottom of the seventh.

When Harughty’s at-bat started, the Texans had two runners on, one out, and trailed 5-3. After that play, Latin America champ Curacao rapidly came unraveled, committing four errors in the inning as Texas scored eight runs.

The game was the first in the tourney for Curacao. Spring (2-0) returns to action on Wednesday night when it takes on the Central champs from South Bend, Ind., at 8 p.m. Curacao will play South Bend at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Harughty said he immediately knew what had happened, and told the umpire as his fly ball headed toward left.

“He told me to run to first anyways,” Harughty said.

Harughty was awarded first base, loading the bases. After a walk made it 5-4, Matt Mendel’s fly ball to right center was dropped, scoring one run, and the errant relay throw to the plate got away from catcher Sevaad Seferina. By the time a Curacao player retrieved it, three runs had scored, and Spring led 7-5.

“[Our team] has seen these things go against us and go for other teams,” Spring manager Chad Watson said. “When momentum change happens, it happens big.”

Braxton Watson mixed a lively fastball with a curve and slider en route to the win. He allowed seven hits and struck out five.

His counterpart, Curacao’s Jair Jurrjens, was saddled with the hard-luck loss. Jurrjens, who registered 89 mph with a first-inning fastball and was still throwing 86 in the seventh, allowed nine runs in 6 1/3 innings. All nine runs were unearned.

Jarred Bonetti reached base five times for Texas, on three singles, a walk and an infield error. He also scored three runs. Braxton Watson, David Gaines and Mendel added two hits apiece.

No. 9 hitter Sharlon Schoop rapped three singles and drove in two runs for Curacao, while Arshwin Asjes singled, tripled and drove in two.

SPRING, TEXAS 11, CURACAO 5

Spring, Texas (2-0) Curacao (0-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Meleski, 2b 5 1 1 0 Seferina, c 2 0 0

Bonetti, 3b 4 3 3 1 Jurrjens, p 3 0 0

Brax. Watson, p 5 0 2 2 Martis, p 1 0

Gaines, c 5 1 2 1 Statia, ss 4 1 0

Harughty, ss 4 1 0 0 Asjes, 1b 3 0 2

Wiley, cf 2 2 0 0 Coster, rf 0 1 0

Mendel, rf 3 1 2 1 Offerman, rf 0 0 0

Bran. Watson, 1b 2 0 0 0 Koko 2 1 0

c-Smith 1 0 0 0 b-Walle, cf 1 1 0

d-Flessas 0 2 0 0 Fornerino, lf 2 0 0

Watkins, lf 2 0 0 0 Reigina, lf 1 0 0

a-Kiger 1 0 0 1 Obispo, 3b 3 0 0

e-Gonzales 1 0 0 0 f-Smith, 3b 0 0 0

Schoop, 2b 4 1 3 2

Totals 35 11 10 6 Totals 26 5 7 4

a-lined out for Watkins in fifth, b-ran for Asjes in fifth, c-struck out for Bran. Watson in sixth, d-ran for Brax. Watson in fifth and seventh, e-flied out for Watkins in seventh, f-ran for Coster in fourth

Spring, Texas 100 110 8 ? 11

Curacao 000 212 0 ? 5

E?Bonetti 2, Bran. Watson; Schoop, Statia 2, Obispo, Seferina, Walle, Asjes; LOB?Texas 7; Curacao 12; 2B?Gaines; 3B?Mendel; Asjes; DP?Statia-Asjes; S?Seferina 2, Jurrjens, Fornerino; SF?Mendell, Gonzales; SB?Gaines

Texas IP H R ER BB SO

Brax. Watson (W, 1-0) 7 7 5 5 5 5

Curacao IP H R ER BB SO

Jurrjens (L, 0-1) 6 1/3 7 9 0 5 3

Martis 2/3 3 3 0 0 0

HBP?Koko, Obispo by Watson; WP?Watson; T?2:19; ATT?200 (est.)