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BANGOR – Neal Russell controlled the opening game of the 2005 Senior League World Series with his pitching.
But just as important in helping Bangor edge Canadian champion Westfort International Little League of Thunder Bay, Ontario, 2-1 before 1,100 fans at Mansfield Stadium on Sunday was his baserunning.
Thunder Bay had reached the righthander for an unearned run in the top of the sixth to forge a 1-1 tie before Russell opened the bottom of the inning with a single to left. When the ball was bobbled, he raced to second base, and one out later took third on a wild pitch by Thunder Bay’s Christopher Bewski that catcher Cody Smith blocked but couldn’t control cleanly.
Shane Walton then hit a 2-2 pitch up the middle to drive home Russell with what proved to be the winning run.
“Our guys played well and did the little things,” said Bangor manager Tyler Jellison. “Neal got to second and then got his good secondary lead, and when the catcher dropped to his knees, he got to third. We’ve stressed the little things, and it worked out great today.”
“I knew he was going to throw a fastball,” added Walton. “Neal made a great play to get to third, and I felt confident I could drive him in. When I hit it, I knew the game was over from there.”
Russell put Bangor in position to win with a five-hitter that required only 87 pitches, 57 of which were strikes.
“There wasn’t anything that wasn’t working out there,” said Russell. “The defense was incredible all around and I had control of all my pitches; where [catcher] Gordie [Webb] put the mitt, I hit it. It was just an unreal day, I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
“It looked like they maybe faced a lot of fast pitchers, and his curveball came right in and they were way ahead of it, popping it up,” Webb added. “He also kept the ball down and got them to hit a lot of ground balls that helped us.”
Bangor did commit three errors but overall got solid defensive play, particularly from shortstop Kyle Gallant, who twice went into the hole between second and third bases to rob Thunder Bay of hits.
“Neal just did an awesome job of rolling ground balls left and right, and we made the plays, and that’s what won us the game,” said Gallant.
Bewski pitched nearly as well, scattering seven hits while striking out three and walking two. But while each team stranded four runners in scoring position, Bangor was able to limit a Thunder Bay offense that scored 99 runs in seven games while winning the Canadian title.
“They took advantage of the opportunities that they had and we didn’t,” said Thunder Bay manager Bill Oleksuk.
Bangor took a 1-0 lead in the first as Kyle Vanidestine lined a one-out triple to left and scored when Webb blooped an opposite-field single to right.
Russell nursed that lead until the top of the sixth. Travis Oleksuk hit a leadoff double to right-center, and after Michael Labelle walked, a double-steal put runners on second and third with no one out. After Devon Carson lined out to short, Oleksuk scored on an infield error, a play that still left runners on second and third with one out.
But Russell got Evan Matson on a popout to first baseman Alex Gallant in foul territory and Bewski on a groundout to Kyle Gallant – and opportunity lost for the Canadians represented a great escape for the host team.
“We had chances in that inning when we had second and third,” said Bill Oleksuk, “but we missed a bunt, missed a couple of small plays that we had scheduled, and that was the game right there.”
The Canadian team is idle Monday before facing U.S. West champ Pearl City, Hawaii, at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Bangor plays Asia-Pacific champion Agana, Guam, at 8 p.m. Monday.
“It’s a great feeling, but we’re not satisfied,” said Jellison. “We came here to win ballgames. We said we’d be competitive, and we’ve got one, but hopefully we’ll be competitive again and get another one.”
BANGOR 2, CANADA 1
(Pool A Sunday)
Thunder Bay, Ont. (0-1) Bangor (1-0)
Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI
Agombar, cf 4 0 2 0 K. Gallant, ss 3 0 0
Winters, 3b-1b 4 0 0 0 Vanidestine, lf-2b 0
Oleksuk, ss 3 1 2 0 Webb, c 3 0 2 1
Labelle, rf 2 0 0 0 A. Gallant, 1b 3 0 0
Hanlan, lf 2 0 1 0 Russell, p 2 1 0
Carson, lf 1 0 0 0 Edwards, 2b-3b 2 0 0
Kovac, 2b 2 0 0 0 Batchelder, lf 1 0 0
Willis, 3b 1 0 0 0 Walton, 3b 2 0 1
Matson, 1b-2b 3 0 0 0 Brookings, lf 1 0
Bewski, p 3 0 0 0 Jellison, rf 1 0 0
Smith, c 3 0 0 0 McDade, rf 0 0 0
Larochelle, rf 1 0 0 0
Crews, cf 1 0 1 0
Martinez, cf 1 0 0 0
Totals 28 1 5 0 Totals 24 2 7 2
Canada 000 001 0-1
Bangor 100 001 x-2
E-Hanlan, Carson; Walton 2, Webb; LOB-Canada 7 Bangor 6; 2B-Oleksuk; 3B-Vanidestine; SB-Oleksuk 2, Labelle; Crews, Webb, Martinez
Canada IP H R ER BB SO
Bewski (L, 0-1) 6 7 2 2 2 3
Bangor IP H R ER BB SO
Russell (W, 1-0) 7 5 1 0 1 4
WP-Bewski 2; T-1:39; ATT-1,100
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