U.S. Central finishes at 2-2

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BANGOR – The U.S. Central team knew about 30 minutes before its final Senior League World Series pool play game that it wasn’t going to advance to Friday’s semifinal round. Only two teams from each pool advance, and the two teams were decided in the Thursday morning game.

And so with third place, a .500 record and a little bit of pride on the line, Humboldt Park Little League of Chicago pulled together for an 11-1 victory in five innings over Europe-Middle East-Africa winner Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

“I think it’s hard to get up for any game when you’re not playing for anything and you’re just playing baseball,” said Mike Giller, who drove in three runs on a triple and a double. “But we have pretty good players and there was a lot of pride at stake.”

Chicago wrapped up its World Series stint at 2-2 in Pool B, while Rotterdam struggled to an 0-4 record.

The Central squad seemed a bit deflated early, although aggressive baserunning in the first inning gave Rotterdam an idea of what was to come.

The teams were scoreless in the second but Chicago’s Peter Sparacino opened the inning with a double to left-center and pinch runner Devin Melecio stole third and scored on Willie Davila’s single.

Davila stole second, Oscar Sanchez walked, and then Rotterdam pitcher Tim Roodenburg hit Alexis Cotton and Gabriel Perez to bring in Davila.

Things continued to fall apart for Rotterdam.

Sanchez was running from third on a Roodenburg pitch to Raphael Garcia and was able to steal home. The pitch got away from Rotterdam catcher Ramon Hagendoorn, allowing Cotton and Perez to move up.

A wild pitch scored Cotton, Perez came in on a balk, Garcia and Marvin Sanchez walked, and then eventually scored on a Giller double. Chicago led 7-0 at the end of the inning.

Rotterdam manager Paul Roodenburg said his starter’s arm was tired.

“He pitched a good game in the first game but he hurt his arm, so we were thinking, let him wait and start the last game,” he said of his son, Tim. “Then his sore arm will be [better]. But it wasn’t better.”

The Central team added four more runs in the third as Giller had an RBI triple, Perez and Steve Yopchick each hit RBI singles and Garcia was credited with a sacrifice fly and an RBI when he popped up in foul territory behind the plate, allowing Cotton to score from third.

Chicago finished with six stolen bases and drew six walks.

“We did a lot of things that hopefully we can use later,” Giller said.

Rotterdam managed three hits, including back-to-back singles to open the third. Lucas van Elewout singled and scored in that inning.

The run was unearned because of a Chicago fielding error.

“We were trying to make seven innings out of it because we wanted to go for it,” Paul Roodenburg said.

U.S. CENTRAL 11, EUROPE-MIDDLE EAST-AFRICA 1

Rotterdam (0-4) Chicago (2-2)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Roodenburg, p-cf 3 0 0 0 Garcia, ss-2b 1 1

van Elewout, 2b 1 0 0 0 M. Sanchez, 2b-ss 0

van de Wal, 2b 1 1 1 0 Giller, c-1b 2 3

Vrolijk, cf 1 0 1 0 Yopchick, 1b-c 2 0 1

van Elk, p 1 0 1 0 Sparacino, 3b 3 1 0

Rudolph, ss 2 0 0 0 Davila, cf-p 3 1 1

Wolthis, 1b 2 0 0 0 O. Sanchez, lf-rf 2 0

Stadthouders, 3b 1 0 0 0 Cotton, rf-cf 2 0

Hagendoorn, c 2 0 0 0 Perez, p 0 1

Giezen, lf 0 0 0 0 Melecio, lf 2 2 1

Roza, rf 2 0 0 0

Totals 16 1 3 0 Totals 18 11 9 8

Europe-Middle East-Africa 000 10 ? 1

U.S. Central 074 0x ? 11

E?van Elk; M. Sanchez; LOB?EMEA 3, Central 4; 2B?Giller, Sparacino; 3B?Giller; DP?Central 1; SF?Garcia; SB?Giller, Sparacino, Davila 2, O. Sanchez, Cotton

EMEA IP H R ER BB SO

Roodenburg (L, 0-1) 1* 3 7 7 5 0

Van Elk 3 6 4 4 1 0

U.S. Central IP H R ER BB SO

Perez 2 1 0 0 1 0

Davila (W, 1-0) 2 2 1 0 1 3

Cotton 1 0 0 0 1 1

HBP?Perez, Cotton by Roodenburg; WP?Roodenburg; BK?Roodenburg; PB?Hagendoorn; Yopchick; T?1:20; ATT?200 (est.)

*faced eight batters in the second