Watson one-hitter lifts U.S. Central into semis

loading...

BANGOR – The U.S. Central team knew exactly what needed to happen in order for the squad to advance to the semifinal round of the Senior League World Series.

In fact, there was only one option for the boys from Urbandale, Iowa – win Thursday afternoon’s Pool B game or go home.

With that on his mind, Brad Watson tossed a one-hitter and got an RBI double in the sixth from Jared Norris for a 2-1 victory over the U.S. Southwest.

“It made me concentrate a lot more,” Watson said. “I had to get the job done, make sure I wasn’t making mistakes, letting that team come back.”

The U.S. Central win, combined with the U.S. East win over Latin America earlier Thursday, means Iowa won Pool B with a 3-1 record and will face U.S. South representative Clarksville, Ga., at 2:30 p.m. Friday.

The U.S. East also advanced as the No. 2 seed in Pool B and will face Pool A top seed U.S. West Friday morning. The winner will advance to Saturday’s World Series championship.

Watson fanned 10, walked two, and allowed just four baserunners. The Southwest’s run was unearned.

He retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced, and allowed one baserunners in the final two innings.

“My fastball was working pretty good today,” he said. “It was moving back a lot. And my knuckle curve kept getting them off balance.”

With Watson firing away, the Central offense knew it had to come up with a way to break a 1-1 tie. Norris, Alex Conlon and Darin Davis provided the answer.

Louisiana pitcher Seth Webster had been throwing a solid game, too, and had logged a strikeout to open the sixth. But Conlon lofted a single to center field and pinch-runner Davis scampered home on Norris’ second double to left of the game.

“We were kind of dead out there for a few innings and we knew we had to do something,” Norris said. “[Davis] was stealing and I just hit the pitch to left. He’s fast, so he scored.”

It was a relief to Watson, too.

“I felt great when that happened. I knew I just had to keeping throwing strikes and keep the ball on the ground.”

Mike Hoberg scored very early for Urbandale. Hoberg, the leadoff batter of the game, hit an infield single, stole second, and scored on a throwing error – all while Kelly Waddell, the second batter of the game, was at the plate.

Marksville tied the game in the fifth. Alex Brouillette reached on a one-out error, stole second, advanced on a Thomas Dunn groundout, and scored on a double-steal attempt after Wesly Maddox drew a walk.

Maddox reached second on the double steal and a throwing error allowed him to advance to third, but Watson got a strikeout to end the inning.

Webster struck out seven and had no walks.

“He’s a got a pretty good fastball,” Watson said. “He can bring it, and his curveball is different and it’s kind of hard to judge when it’s coming in.”

U.S. CENTRAL 2, U.S. SOUTHWEST 1

(Pool B)

Urbandale, Iowa (3-1) Marksville, La. (1-3)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Hoberg, ss 4 1 3 0 K. Moss, 3b 3 0 0

Waddell, c 4 0 1 0 Borrel, cf 3 0 0

Conlon, 2b 4 1 1 0 Roszell, ss 3 0 0

Norris, 1b 3 0 2 1 Webster, p 3 0 0

Schuck, lf-rf 3 0 0 0 Jeansonne, c 2 0

Raisch, 3b 1 0 0 0 Normand, c 1 0 0

Weeks, 3b 2 0 1 0 Brouillette, 2b 3 1 0

Englund, rf-cf 3 0 1 0 Dunn, rf 2 0

Davis, cf 1 0 0 0 Maddox, 1b 1 0 0

Coffey, cf 1 0 0 0 Lemoine, lf 0 0 0

Miles, lf 1 0 0 0 B. Moss, lf 1 0 0

Watson, p 3 0 0 0

Totals 30 2 9 1 Totals 22 1 1 0

U.S. Central 100 001 0 – 2

U.S. Southwest 000 010 0 – 1

E-Conlon, Weeks; Roszell 2; LOB-U.S. Central 7, U.S. Southwest 2; 2B-Norris 2; SB-Hoberg, Waddell, Englund; Brouillette 2, Maddox

U.S. Central IP H R ER BB SO

Watson (W, 1-0) 7 1 1 0 2 10

U.S. Southwest IP H R ER BB SO

Webster (L, 1-1) 7 9 2 1 0 7

WP-Webster; T-1:35; ATT-200 (est.)