Latin America tops U.S. East Baserunning miscues prove costly

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BANGOR – Freehold Township, N.J., was one big hit away from putting Falcon, Venezuela, in a big hole early in Thursday afternoon’s Pool B Senior League World Series showdown at Mansfield Stadium.

The U.S. East champs had runners on first and third with one out in the home half of the third inning, but baserunning blunders by Chris Ballester at third and Steve Talbott at first resulted in a wacky inning-ending double play.

New Jersey never threatened again, and the Latin America representatives rolled into today’s semifinals with a 6-2 victory.

The defending series champs, who concluded pool play at 3-1, take on U.S. West champ and Pool A winner Hilo, Hawaii, at 11:30 a.m. while Freehold Township finishes its tourney run at 2-2.

Talbott had broken for second base on a pickoff attempt and was eventually tagged out, and Ballester then was caught off the bag at third and was barely beaten back to the base by third baseman Gustavo Prince’s tag.

“That took us out of the game. That was the turn right there,” said New Jersey manager Anthony Cirillo. “We never recovered from that.”

Instead of being caught in a rundown, Talbott headed right toward second, and Ballester couldn’t break for the plate.

“[Talbott] ran right to second base, which didn’t give us the opportunity to get into a rundown to score that run,” Cirillo said.

Venezuela responded in the top of the next inning, as RBI doubles by Hugo Yedra and Prince gave the reigning champs the lead for good at 3-2.

Winning pitcher Yedra shut down New Jersey from there, allowing only four baserunners after the third.

Yedra painted the corners well with his fastball while mixing in the occasional curve, changeup or slider, which is the cornerstone of his game.

“He usually does work the corners, he has four very good pitches that he can get outs with,” Venezuela manager Osmar Reyes said through an interpreter.

Yedra scattered two runs, only one earned, on six hits while striking out five and walking two.

Jose Gonzalez worked around a Gerry Plescia single in the seventh to close the door.

Freehold Township got to Yedra early, ringing up two first-inning runs on a Tom Wojciechowski single to left that scored Anthony Cirill, with Chris Ballester also coming home on a throwing error by Luis Lugo on the relay to give New Jersey a 2-0 lead.

The N.J. stars wouldn’t muster much offense after that.

“I’ve got to give credit to [Yedra], he pitched very well,” Cirillo said.

In the eyes of his manager, Yedra was mixing up his pitchers better and getting more first-pitch strikes.

“[Yedra] gets better as the game goes on,” Reyes said.

Venezuela tacked on three more in the sixth, the big blow being a two-run triple by Leonardo Rojas, who finished with three RBIs, which made it 6-2.

Rojas got Venezuela on the board with an RBI single in the third.

Cirillo and Ballester each went 2-for-2 with a run scored for New Jersey.

LATIN AMERICA 6, U.S. EAST 2

(Pool B)

Falcon, Venezuela Freehold, N.J.

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Chrino, 2b 4 1 1 1 Cirillo, ss-p 2 1 0

Pina, ss 3 2 1 0 Talbot, lf 3 0 0

Primra, pr 0 0 0 0 Bllstr, 3b-ss 2 1 0

Rojas, c 4 0 2 3 Leroy, p-c 2 0 0

Gnzlez, rf-p 4 0 2 0 Wjwski, 1b 2 0 1

Luque, 1b 4 0 2 0 Parisi, pr 0 0 0

Lugo, lf 4 1 1 0 Plescia, cf 3 0 0

Alavrdo, cf 4 1 1 0 Kropa, rf 0 0 0

Yedra, p 3 1 1 1 Hohmnn, ph 3 0 0

Zea, rf 0 0 0 0 Prves, c-2b 3 0 0

Prince, 3b 3 0 2 1 Gillis, 2b-3b 3 0 0

Totals 33 6 13 6 23 2 7 1

Venezuela 001 203 0 – 6

Freehold, N.J. 200 000 0 – 2

E-Lugo; Cirilo; DP-Pina-Chirino-Luque; LOB-Falcon, Venezuela 8, Freehold Township, N.J. 4; 2B-Pina, Rojas, Yedra, Prince; Ballester; SB-Yedra; CS-Ballester

Venezuela IP H R ER BB SO

Yedra (W) 6 6 2 1 2 5

Gonzalez 1 1 0 0 0 1

Freehold, N.J.

Leroy (L) 5 1/3 10 5 5 1 0

Cirillo 1 2/3 3 1 1 0 0

HBP-Wojciechowski (by Yedra), Leroy (by Yedra); WP-Cirillo; PB-Rojas; T-1:54; A-600