CNMI ends tourney run with victory

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BANGOR – It’s a long way home for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands all-stars.

But as the team based on a chain of islands in the North Pacific ended its run at the 2004 Senior League Baseball World Series on Thursday, it did so in grand style, upending Pool A champion Dade City, Fla., 6-5 at Mansfield Stadium.

The win, coming less than 24 hours after a come-from-behind victory over host Bangor, gave the Asia-Pacific champion a 2-2 record in pool play after opening the tournament with back-to-back losses.

“It’s been a great experience,” said CNMI center fielder Tyrone Omar, who had three singles, including a two-run, two-out hit in the bottom of the sixth that delivered the winning run. “This is my last chance in the Senior League, and I’m glad we were able to come here and win two games.”

Dade City, which clinched the Pool A championship Wednesday, may have been looking ahead to its semifinal against U.S. East representative Freehold Township, N.J., at 11:30 a.m. Friday.

After scoring three runs in the top of the first, the U.S. South champion was held in check by CNMI right-hander Oliver Secharmidal, who scattered six hits and two runs over the final six innings.

“I told the boys anytime you play at this level and you give the other guys a chance, and you come with your B game and they come with their A game, you’re going to get beat, and that’s exactly what happened today,” said Dade City manager Dale Maggard, whose team had its 18-game unbeaten streak ended.

Dade City standout Dominic Brown looked anything but flat at the game’s outset, leading off the game with a triple to deep center, and scoring on Jaime Cruz’s one-out single to right. After Zach Maggard popped a single to center, Stephen Roe singled home Cruz, and Brown scored on an errant throw in from the outfield for a quick 3-0 lead.

CNMI’s Tony Palacios singled, moved to third on Secharmidal’s single and scored on a fielder’s choice grounder by Antoine Allen in the bottom of the inning, but Brown drew a two-out walk in the second and scored on Robbie Shields’ double to push the Dade City lead to 4-1.

CNMI added two unearned runs in the third. Omar reached second on an error and scored on a Palacios single. Palacios then stole second and scored on a throwing error.

Dade City (3-1) made it 5-3 in the top of the fifth, as Maggard singled, went to second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored when Roe singled to right. CNMI closed to within 5-4 in the bottom of the inning on singles by Omar, Shane Mendiola and Allen.

Roe, who didn’t walk a batter during his first five innings on the mound, walked Franco Flores, Jeff Saures and Zack Concepcion on 14 pitches to open the CNMI sixth. Shields relieved Roe, and one out later Omar singled to left to drive home Flores and Saures and give the Asia-Pacific champs their first lead.

“He threw a first-pitch fastball to the first batter he faced,” said Omar, “so I was expecting a fastball.”

ASIA PACIFIC 6, US SOUTH 5

(Thursday Night)

US South (3-1) Asia Pacific (2-2)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Brown, cf 3 2 2 0 Omar, cf 4 2 2

Shields, ss/p 4 0 1 1 Palacios, lf 3 1

Cruz, 3b/ss 3 1 1 1 Mendiola, lf 1 0 0

Maggard, c 4 2 2 0 Secharmidal, p 4 0 0

Roe, p/3b 4 0 2 2 Allen, 3b 3 0 2

Juarez, 1b 3 0 1 0 Taisakan, 1b 3 0 0

Mathis, rf 2 0 0 0 Flores, 2b 2 1 0

Roberts, ph/rf 1 0 0 0 Saures, ss 2 0

Hedman, 2b 1 0 0 0 Ada, c 1 0 0 0

Pullin, ph/2b 2 0 1 0 Concepcion, c 1 0

Capehart, lf 1 0 0 0 Guerrero, rf 1 0 0

Wells, ph/lf 2 0 0 0 Tenorio, rf 2 0 0

Totals 30 5 10 4 Totals 27 6 8 5

US South 310 010 0 ? 5

Asia Pacific 102 012 x ? 6

E? Shields, Juarez, Omar; LOB? South 6, Asia Pacific 6; 2B? Shields; 3B? Brown; DP? Asia Pacific 1; SB? Maggard, Palacios

US South IP H R ER BB SO

Stephen Roe (L, 1-0) 5 7 6 4 3 3

Robbie Shields 1 1 0 0 0 1

Asia Pacific IP H R ER BB SO

Secharmidal (W, 1-0) 7 10 5 4 2 6

WP? Secharmidal; PB? Ada; T? 1:58; ATT? 250