BANGOR – It took Willamstead, Curacao, 4 2/3 innings to figure out New Philadelphia, Ohio, lefthander Matt Wheeler, but the Latin Americans did it in a big way in Sunday night’s Pool B matchup at Mansfield Stadium.

Willamstead connected for five straight two-out hits in the bottom of the fifth inning, pushing across four runs, and erasing a 3-0 deficit en route to a 4-3 victory over the U.S. Central team in a mutual Senior League World Series opener.

Wheeler kept Latin America off-balance with solid work on the corners and an effective curveball, but a two-out walk opened the floodgates for Curacao, and the Latin Americans started peppering the ball.

“We left our pitcher in 3-4 batters too long, he started hanging the curveball a little bit,” said U.S. Central manager Kevin Gray.

After Dursley Ignacio walked on a 3-2 pitch, Kevin Moesquit’s deep double to center got Curacao on the board.

Chris Garia knocked him home with a long triple to right two pitches later, and Jurickson Profar’s double down the left-field line tied the game.

Jonathan Schoop capped the scoring with an RBI single to right.

Ohio jumped on top with two runs in the second, the first coming on Andy Allensworth’s deep triple to left, and he scored on Johnny Iacobucci’s sacrifice bunt.

U.S. Central turned two walks, a stolen base and RBI single into a third-inning run, as Logan Gray singled in Adam Mizer, who had walked.

As effective as Ohio’s Wheeler was, Curacao’s Dudley Leondra, who struck out nine in six innings of work, limited Central’s opportunities after the third, allowing just three baserunners the rest of the way.

“He did a nice job keeping us off balance as well,” said Gray.

The chilly evening conditions bothered Leondra slightly.

“I feel a little disappointed because I couldn’t feel my fingers,” he said. “It’s a little chillier [than we’re used to].”

Wheeler was done in by hanging breaking balls in the fifth.

“We really read him well [in] the fifth inning, then we got accustomed,” said Leondra, who led Curacao with three hits, including a double in the fifth.

Jurickson Profar pitched the seventh to earn the save, but Ohio made him earn it, as Logan Cozart led off with an infield single and took second on a balk.

Profar wasn’t rattled, striking out the side to end it.

“I threw the fastball very hard and I was relaxed,” said Profar.

Wheeler scattered four runs and 10 hits while striking out three on the night.

“He did a phenomenal job, there’s some great hitters there on that ballclub, he was spotting the ball nice and the curveball was down,” Gray said. “The kids battled.”

rmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net

990-8193

LATIN AMERICA 4, U.S. CENTRAL 3

U.S. Central (0-1) Latin American (1-0)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Wheeler, p-rf 2 0 0 0 Liberia, rf-pr 1 0

Mizer, rf-p 2 1 1 0 Doran, lf-rf 2 0 0

Gray, 2b 3 0 1 1 Ignacio, lf-cf 3 1 0

Ripley, 3b 2 1 0 0 Moesquit, 2b-3b 3 1 1

Allensworth, c 2 1 1 1 Celestyn, cf 2 0

Cozart, ss 3 0 1 0 Profar, 3b-p 3 1 1

Iacobucci, 1b 2 0 0 1 Schoop, ss 2 1

Burcher, lf 3 0 0 0 Leondra, p-2b 3 0 0

Knecht, cf 2 0 0 0 Rojer, 1b 2 0 0

Eugenia, 1b 1 0 0 0

Rondei, c 3 0 1 0

Garia, rf-cf 1 1 1 1

Totals 21 3 4 3 Totals 26 4 11 4

U.S. Central 021 000 0 – 3

Latin America 000 040 0 – 4

E-Leondra 2, Schoop; LOB-U.S. Central 3; Latin America 7; 2B-Leondra, Moesquit, Profar, Doran; 3B-Garia; Allensworth; DP-U.S. Central 2; SB-Mizer, Iacobucci

Latin America IP H R ER BB SO

Leondra (W) 6 3 3 3 5 9

Profar (S) 1 1 0 0 0 3

U.S. Central IP H R ER BB SO

Wheeler (L) 4 2/3 10 4 4 3 3

Mizer 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 1

BK-Profar; T-2:04; ATT-750