BANGOR – Frustrated by a opening-night loss at the Senior League World Series, the Urbandale, Iowa, lineup took on a different look as the U.S. Central champion sought to rebound Monday against Freehold Township, N.J. – the defending world champion.

The changes worked, and lefthander Jared Norris pitched a four-hitter as Urbandale downed the U.S. East champs 5-2 at Mansfield Stadium.

Norris struck out four and walked four while outdueling Freehold Township righty Jason Nardi.

“What more can you ask of him?” said Urbandale manager John Hoberg. “The only runs he allowed were walks … but he got out of a couple of jams, and with him being lefthanded he’s got a great move and he slowed down their running game. He did a yeoman job for us.”

Urbandale is 1-1 in Pool B, while Freehold Township is 0-1 after its opener against Tbilisi, Georgia, was suspended after one inning due to rain Sunday night. That game will resume at 9 a.m. Wednesday with the U.S. East team holding an 8-1 lead.

Urbandale started two different players against Freehold than it did in a 6-4 loss Sunday to Latin American champion Santiago Veraguas, Panama. Just three batters hit in the same spot in the batting order.

The new-look Iowans responded with nine singles against Nardi, eight in the two innings in which they scored.

“I made some tough decisions last night,” said Hoberg. “We changed the lineup around a lot. We had some guys who weren’t producing, so we made a statement that any of our 12 players are capable of doing the job, and when I announced the lineup today they found out the hard way. It woke a couple of them up, and it made for a great team win today.”

Jeremy Schuck, the starting pitcher and No. 3 batter in the order for Urbandale against Panama, didn’t start Monday, but finished strong. Schuck came off the bench to hit a two-run single that capped a three-run rally in the fourth, and scored after hitting another single in the sixth.

“There’s a lot of pressure, because you’re thinking you might be back on the bench if you don’t get a hit,” said Schuck.

Freehold Township had its 18-game postseason win streak snapped. The reigning champs hadn’t lost since Aug. 19, 2004, when they fell to Venezuela in their final game of pool play at the 2004 SLWS.

“The boys didn’t show their best today, they had an off game,” said Freehold Township manager Charles Wilmot. “But give the other team credit. Their lefty pitcher got the better of our lefty batters, and some of our better batters are lefties.”

Freehold Township took a 1-0 lead in the second. Chase Majewski drew a one-out walk, stole second and scored on Brian Cooney’s single to right.

Nardi, meanwhile, faced just nine batters through three innings before Urbandale mounted a rally of modest origin. Mike Hoberg hit a chopper in front of the plate good for an infield single, and went to second on a wild pitch. Kelly Waddell reached on a sacrifice bunt as Freehold Township tried to cut down the lead runner but Hoberg was safe at third.

Alex Conlon singled home Hoberg, and one out later Schuck lined a single to right off the glove of Freehold first baseman Ryan Cuneo.

The Iowans added two runs on four hits in the sixth, with singles by Norris, Schuck and Sean Raisch – who had three hits on the day – producing one run and Brad Watson’s two-out single driving home Schuck.

Freehold’s final run came in the seventh. Cooney walked and scored when Dominick Hayes hit a two-out double off the glove of diving Urbandale center fielder Darin Davis.

U.S. CENTRAL 5, U.S. EAST 2

Freehold Twp, N.J. (0-1) Urbandale, Iowa (1-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Hayes, cf 4 0 1 1 Hoberg, ss 3 1 0

Rusbarsky, ss 4 0 1 0 Waddell, c 2 0

Cuneo, 1b 3 0 0 0 Conlon, 2b 3 1 1

Nardi, p-rf 3 0 0 0 Norris, p 3 0 0

Wilmot, 2b 3 0 1 0 Weeks, 1b 1 0 0

Majewski, rf 1 1 0 0 Schuck, 1b 2 1 2

Whitley, rf-p 1 0 0 0 Raisch, 3b 3 1

Baggitt, c 1 0 0 0 Englund, rf 1 1 0

Cooney, 3b 2 1 1 1 Miles, lf 2 1 0

Archer, lf 2 0 0 0 Coffey, lf 1 0 0

MacLean, lf 1 0 0 0 Watson, rf 2 0 1

Davis, cf 2 0 0 0

Totals 25 2 4 2 Totals 25 5 9 5

U.S. East 010 000 1 – 2

U.S. Central 000 302 x – 5

E-Hoberg; LOB-U.S. East 5, U.S. Central 3; 2B-Hayes; S-Waddell; SB-Majewski; Miles

U.S. East IP H R ER BB SO

Nardi, (L,0-1) 5 2/3 9 5 5 0 4

Whitley 1/3 0 0 0 0 0

U.S. Central IP H R ER BB SO

Norris (W,1-0) 7 4 2 2 4 4

WP-Nardi 2; T-1:33; ATT-220