Brown stifles Bangor U.S. South gains spot in semis

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BANGOR – There wasn’t much Dade City (Fla.) lefthander Dominic Brown didn’t accomplish on Tuesday night.

The 6-foot-5, 190-pound 16-year-old, pitching on one day’s rest, threw a four-hit complete game and aided his own cause with a triple, double, single and two runs batted in as the U.S. South champs beat Bangor 8-4 in the Senior League World Series at Mansfield Stadium.

In front of an estimated 1,600 fans, Brown struck out 11 and walked five while throwing 126 pitches, 73 for strikes.

Brown threw 111 pitches in a complete-game 6-5 win over Oxnard, Cal. on Sunday.

Dade City is 3-0 and has clinched a spot in the semifinals. Bangor fell to 0-2.

“He’s definitely the best pitcher we’ve ever faced,” said Bangor first baseman-third baseman Scott Hackett. “He threw hard and had a nice breaking ball.”

Bangor’s Jimmy Cox, who also played first, added that Brown’s fastball tailed away from righthanded hitters and he also threw a knuckleball.

Brown said it wasn’t one of his best outings of the summer “but I got the job done.

“My curve was working tonight. And my fastball was there,” Brown added.

Brown and Bangor pitcher Neal Russell were both hampered by a small strike zone but both kept their composure.

Russell allowed 10 hits and eight runs, six earned, in his route-going performance.

Three walks and an errant pickoff throw by catcher Zach Maggard provided Bangor with a 1-0 lead in the second but Brown’s booming triple to the base of the center field fence 400 feet away jump-started a three-run third-inning rally for the Floridians.

Robbie Shields followed with a sharp double to left center to tie it.

Maggard looped a single into left center and on Stephen Roe’s RBI grounder to second, Bangor second baseman Kyle Vanidestine threw wide of first allowing another run to score.

Brown broke the game open in the fourth when he rifled a two-run double to right center following a pair of walks.

“I was just in a zone tonight [at the plate],” said Brown.

Bangor got a run back in the fifth on Ryan Jones’ ground- ball double down the left-field line and Ben Silver’s fielder’s choice but Dade City answered with three in the bottom of the fifth on Julian Juarez’s run-scoring double, Gerard Mathis’ RBI single and an error by Jones.

Bangor scored two in the sixth on Alex Gallant’s RBI double and Jones’ fielder’s choice but Brown breezed through the seventh for his second tournament win.

“I was very impressed with [Bangor],” said Dade City manager Dale Maggard. “They’re the best 0-2 team in this tournament. They’re well-coached, they’re disciplined and they’re scrappy.”

Jaime Cruz and Mathis complemented Brown’s offensive production with two hits apiece.

U.S. SOUTH 8, BANGOR 4

Bangor (0-2) Dade City, Fla. (3-0)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Clifford, cf 1 0 0 0 Brown, p 4 1 2

Crews, ph-cf 1 0 0 0 Shields, ss 4 1 1

Estabrook, ss 2 0 0 0 Cruz, 2b 4 0

Silver, B. rf 4 0 1 1 Maggard, c 4 0

Webb, c 4 0 0 0 Roe, 3b 3 1 0 1

Hackett, 1b-3b 2 1 1 0 Juarez, 1b 4 1

Cox, ph-1b 1 0 0 0 Mathis, rf-cf 3 1 1

Barron, lf 2 0 0 0 Hedman, lf 1 0 0

Silver, J. ph-lf 1 0 0 0 Roberts, ph-rf 0 0

Leeman, 3b 1 1 0 0 Pullin, ph-lf 1 0 0

Gallant, ph-1b 1 1 1 1 Capehart, cf 1 0

Russell, p 2 0 0 0 Wells, ph-lf 0 1 0

Jones, 2b 2 1 1 1

Vanidestine,ph-2b 0 0 0 0

Totals 24 4 4 3 Totals 29 8 10 6

Bangor 010 012 0 ? 4

U.S. South 003 230 x ? 8

E?Estabrook, Jones, Vanidestine, Maggard; LOB?Bangor 6, U.S. South 7; 2B?Gallant, Jones, Brown, Shields, Juarez; 3B?Brown; S?Estabrook, Vanidestine; SB?Hackett, Maggard

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

Russell (L,1-0) 6 10 8 6 4 2

U.S. South IP H R ER BB SO

Brown (W,2-0) 7 4 4 3 5 11

WP?Russell, Brown; T?1:54; ATT?1,600