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BANGOR – The Urbandale, Iowa, Senior League all-stars actually made their debut on the world stage two years ago, but four consecutive losses in pool play left a competitive void to be filled.
Two years later, they are champions.
Lefthander Jared Norris pitched a three-hitter, and Mike Hoberg led a 14-hit attack with a double and two singles as the U.S. Central champions overpowered Pearl City, Hawaii, 7-2 at Mansfield Stadium on Saturday to win the 2005 Senior League World Series.
“The kids were focused today, and they played great,” said Urbandale manager John Hoberg. “They played their best game in the biggest game of their lives.”
Eleven players on the team were part of Urbandale’s 2003 Junior League World Series squad, and the memories of that experience served as motivation throughout their return to the world baseball stage.
“We were so excited two years ago just to get there,” but this year when we won regionals we weren’t as happy as we were two years ago, we wanted more,” said Norris. “We thought going in about how bad we felt two years ago going 0-4, and we knew we couldn’t let that happen again.”
Norris played a big role in that turnaround with complete-game victories against 2004 SLWS champ Freehold Township, N.J., in pool play and a Pearl City team that was the last undefeated squad in this year’s 10-team field.
The Urbandale High junior struck out three and walked three in a 108-pitch performance, but just as important was his ability to shut down a Pearl City running game that amassed 16 stolen bases in its first five SLWS games.
The U.S. West champs stole just one base – after Rorry Nakayama walked to lead off the bottom of the first – while Norris picked off two runners and frequently had others leaning back toward first base.
“We knew they were fast, and we had to keep them off the bases,” Norris said. “I didn’t pick off any more than I usually do, but I tried to mix up my pickoff moves, and use a slide step and give them different looks.”
Without that running game, Pearl City never put a runner in scoring position after the second inning, and had to settle for its runnerup finish.
“It was a good ride all the way through to this game, and the kids played their hearts out,” said Pearl City manager Gary Nakamoto, whose team finished with the tournament with a 5-1 record. “Today we just were a little flat. We didn’t hit the ball and made some errors, and our pitcher didn’t throw his ‘A’ game.
“But I give Iowa a lot of credit. They hit the ball well and executed well.”
Urbandale never trailed after breaking a 2-2 tie with a run in the top of the third, as Norris singled, was sacrificed to second by Alex Conlon and scored on a single to right by Sean Rasich.
Conlon’s bunt was one of three sacrifices executed by Urbandale, as the Iowans worked to maintain constant offensive pressure against Pearl City righthander Shannon Liu.
“We knew we had to come out strong, because Hawaii had come from behind in every game they played and won,” said Mike Hoberg. “We had to keep the pressure on them, and we wound up scoring in every inning but two.”
Urbandale broke the game open with a three-run fifth, with Darin Davis driving home pinch-runner Matt Coffey with a suicide squeeze, Hoberg plating a run with a fielder’s choice groundout, and Kelly Waddell following with an RBI double to make it 6-2.
Hoberg doubled, went to third on a sacrifice by Waddell and scored on a groundout by Andrew Weeks to cap off Urbandale’s scoring in the top of the seventh.
Four different Urbandale batters had at least two hits, with Norris, Raisch and Stephen Englund contributing two singles apiece in support of Hoberg’s day at the plate.
Jason Rasa had two of Pearl City’s three hits, both singles.
The championship-game win capped off a challenging run through the Senior League World Series for Urbandale, which lost its pool opener to Latin American champion Santiago Veraguas, Panama, and then had to outlast one of the pre-tourney favorites in Freehold Township, N.J., which had a solid nucleus back from its 2004 title team.
They rallied from an early deficit to win that game, their first in World Series competition, and haven’t lost since.
“As soon as we won our first game against the defending champions from New Jersey, we knew we could go all the way,” said Mike Hoberg. “We set our sights high, and we did it.”
U.S. CENTRAL 7, U.S. WEST 2
(Senior League World Series final)
Urbandale, Iowa (5-1) Pearl City, Hawaii (5-1)
Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI
Hoberg, ss 5 2 3 1 Nakayama, cf 1 0 0
Waddell, c 3 0 1 1 Muraoka, rf 1 0 0
Schuck, 1b 2 1 0 0 Acosta, ss-p 3 0 0
Weeks, 1b 2 0 0 1 Liu, p-ss 3 0 0
Norris, p 2 1 2 0 Ushijima, 1b 3 0 0
Conlon, 2b 4 0 1 1 Rasa, 3b 2 1 0
Raisch, 3b 5 0 2 1 Tampos, rf 0 1 0
Englund, rf-cf 3 1 2 0 DeKneef, cf-rf 1 0
Coffey, lf 2 1 0 0 Domingo, c 1 0 0
Miles, lf 2 1 1 0 Kiyota, c 1 0 0
Davis, cf 2 0 1 1 Lee, lf 0 0 0 1
Watson, rf 2 0 1 1 Tanaid, lf 2 0 0
Quillipo, 2b 2 0 0 0
Sugitaya, 2b 1 0 0 0
Totals 34 7 14 7 Totals 21 2 3 1
U.S. Central 111 030 1-7
U.S. West 020 000 0-2
E-Hoberg, Schuck; Uishijima, Rasa; LOB-U.S. Central 14, U.S. West 4; 2B-Hoberg, Waddell; DP-Quillopo to Liu; S-Waddell, Conlon, Englund; Rasa, Domingo; SF-Lee; SB-Hoberg 2, England 2; Nakayama
U.S. Central IP H R ER BB SO
Norris (W, 2-0) 7 3 2 1 3 3
U.S. West IP H R ER BB SO
Liu, (L, 1-1) 4 2/3 10 6 3 1 4
Acosta 2 1/3 4 1 1 1 0
HBP-Norris 2 (by Liu), Waddell (by Liu); WP-Norris; Liu 2; BK-Liu ; T-2:06; ATT-1,300 (est.)
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