Iowa’s Raisch 3-hits Georgia in semifinals

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BANGOR – Sean Raisch waited a bit impatiently throughout the week for his chance to get a pitching start in the 2005 Senior League World Series.

That turn finally came Friday, and Raisch responded with a three-hitter to lift Urbandale, Iowa, to a 6-2 semifinal victory over U.S. South champion Clarkesville, Ga., and move the U.S. Central champs within one win of a world title.

Urbandale (4-1) will face U.S. West winner Pearl City, Hawaii, in the championship game at 2:30 p.m. today. Pearl City (5-0) advanced by eliminating 2004 SLWS champion Freehold Township, N.J., 4-3.

Raisch had picked up Urbandale’s lone loss during a relief stint against Latin America champion Santiago Veraguas, Panama, in his only other pitching appearance of the series, but he made the most of his first start.

The righthander threw 64 strikes among his 98 pitches, and finished with nine strikeouts and three walks while allowing one earned run.

“He’d asked all week for the ball,” said Urbandale manager John Hoberg, “and when someone’s asking that much … I looked at the other coaches last night and said, ‘it’s his time to have it.’

“He went out and did a great job and ate up innings, which we needed today, and now we’re set for [Saturday].”

Raisch didn’t overpower the Clarkesville lineup after striking out the first four batters he faced, but mixed his pitches and changed speeds while being backed by a defense that made just one error.

“My fastball was working, and we got a lot of good plays behind me,” said Raisch.

Shortstop Mike Hoberg was Urbandale’s hitting star with two singles and a double, an effort he attributed to an adjustment he made at the plate.

“I was opening up my front foot and trying to pull everything and leaning, I wasn’t driving off my back foot,” he Hoberg . “I was driving the ball to the opposite way today and it felt good.”

Hoberg singled to open the bottom of the first and came around to score on an infield hit by Kelly Waddell to give Urbandale a 1-0 lead.

Clarkesville (2-3) tied the game in the fourth on an RBI double by Brannon Humphries, but Urbandale used three Clarkesville errors to break the game open with four runs in the bottom of the inning.

“When a team is down, you’ve got to take advantage, because at this level you only get so many chances,” John Hoberg said.

Jared Norris and Jeremy Schuck each reached on an error before Raisch popped a single to right to load the bases with one out. Norris scored when a fielder’s choice grounder by Andrew Weeks was misplayed, and Schuck made it 3-1 by scoring on Matt Coffey’s suicide squeeze.

Hoberg capped off the rally with a two-run single up the middle that barely got past Clarkesville pitcher Jesse Holden, shortstop Ismael Garza and second baseman Ranger Jackson.

“I thought they were going to get that one, I thought that was a sure out,” Hoberg said. “I just got lucky.”

Raisch singled, stole second and later scored on a wild pitch to extend Urbandale’s lead to 6-1 in the sixth.

Cooper Boydstun hit a one-out triple in the seventh and scored on a wild pitch to account for Clarkesville’s final run.

“A good team beat us,” said Clarkesville manager Randy Jackson. “We beat ourselves a little bit today, but that happens in the course of baseball with 15- and 16-year-old players. We’re still proud of our players, proud of their effort, and proud of the families and the community. It’s been a great run.”

U.S. CENTRAL 6, U.S. SOUTH 2

(SLWS Semifinal)

Clarkesville, Ga. (2-3) Urbandale, Iowa (4-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Mixon, cf 2 0 0 0 Hoberg, ss 3 1 2

Garza, ss 2 0 0 0 Waddell, c 3 0 1

Vermilya, rf 1 0 0 0 Conlon, 2b 3 0 0

Holden, p 3 1 0 0 Norris, 1b 3 1 0

Humphries, 3b 3 0 1 1 Schuck, 3b-lf 3 0

Jackson, 2b-ss 2 0 0 0 Raisch, p 3 0

Parker, 1b 3 0 0 0 Englund, rf 1 0 0

Boydstun, lf 2 1 1 0 Weeks, 3b 1 1 1

Brantley, lf 1 0 0 0 Watson, rf 1 0 0

Rogers, rf-2b 3 0 1 0 Coffey, lf-cf 2 1

Lewallen, c 2 0 0 0 Davis, cf 1 0 0

Miles, lf 1 0 0 0

Totals 24 2 3 1 Totals 25 6 6 5

U.S. South 000 100 1 – 2

U.S. Central 100 401 x – 6

E-Garza 2, Jackson, Lewallen; Schuck; LOB-U.S. South 4, U.S. Central 3; 2B-Humphries; Hoberg; 3B-Boydstun; S-Coffey; SB-Hoberg, Raisch

U.S. South IP H R ER BB SO

Holden (L,0-1) 6 6 6 1 0 6

Home IP H R ER BB SO

Raisch (W,1-1) 7 3 2 1 3 9

HBP-Miles by Holden; WP-Raisch; T-1:36; ATT-500 (est.)