Texas defeats EMEA Four-run fourth breaks early tie

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BANGOR – It was an uncharacteristically slow start, but by the finish of Monday morning’s Pool B game, the U.S. Southwest team was in a good position in its first game of the Senior League World Series.

The regional representative Bryan National West Little League of Bryan, Texas, rallied from an early deficit and broke a mid-game tie en route to an 8-2 victory over Vilnius Little League of Vilnius, Lithuania which is the Europe-Middle East-Africa representative.

Bryan goes to 1-0 in pool play. Vilnius falls to 0-2.

It took a while for the Bryan batters to figure out Vilnius starter Deividas Vilbikas, who was throwing a lot of off-speed pitches. That was likely the reason, Bryan manager Richard Martinez said, the Texans had a slow start.

“I think we got settled in, adjusted to the pitching, and capitalized where we could,” Martinez said. “[The off-speed pitches were] something we weren’t expecting. We were expecting a little more velocity on his ball. It took a little while to get adjusted. Then once we did, we came out OK.”

Bryan’s two Davids, David Williams and David Contreras, provided the highlights for the Texans as they rallied from two ties.

Williams, a 6-foot-4, 255-pound third baseman, hit a home run in the top of the second inning to tie it up at 1-1. Bryan took a 2-1 lead in the third and went on to score four runs in the fifth, after Vilnius pulled even in the fourth.

Williams was facing a 1-1 pitch when he hit his homer over the 330-foot fence in left field. It was his first home run in all-star play, he added.

“He threw me a fastball just right down the pike,” Williams said. “It’s pretty exciting because it was my first at-bat of the World Series, and I jacked one out. I was pretty happy.”

Vilius manager said Vilbikas left his pitch high and inside.

“Sometimes he throws here and here,” Vermidas Neverauskas said, indicating the strike zone. “[He was] throwing this [pitch] inside.”

Williams went on to record a sacrifice fly in the fourth as Bryan went ahead for good. Arthur Garza’s sharply hit single to right earlier in that inning plated two runs, snapping the 2-2 tie. Jacob Sutherland had an RBI fielder’s choice later in the inning for a 6-2 lead.

Contreras earned the pitching win for Bryan, scattering six hits while striking out five and walking two. His fastball, he said, was his best pitch.

“I just pitched my game,” Contreras said. “I pitched a game that I love, and I’m gonna pitch nonstop. I’ll pitch til the end.”

Contreras also had a two-run double in the seventh.

Vilnius struck early with a run in the top of the first on an RBI single by Valentinas Krukis. His run plated Lukas Bradauskas, who had doubled. Arunas Dankdvskis singled and scored in the fourth inning.

jbloch@bangordailynews.net

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U.S. SOUTHWEST 8, EMEA 2

Bryan, Texas (1-0) Vilnius, Lithuania (0-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Byer, ss 3 1 2 0 Vilbikas, p-2b 3 0 0

Galvan, rf 4 1 1 1 Kolduba, 3b 3 0 0

Garza, cf 4 1 2 2 Bradauskas, 1b-p 3 0

Martinez, 1b 2 1 1 0 Krukis, cf 3 0 1

Williams, 3b 3 1 1 2 Dankdvskis, ss 3 1 0

Sutherland, lf 3 1 0 1 Augustinas, lf-1b 0

Contreras, p 4 0 1 2 Sarapas, rf 2 0 0

Longoria, 2b 4 0 1 0 Vascila, rf 1 0 0

Spivey, pr 0 0 0 0 Martunas, c 1 0 0

Perez, c 4 2 2 0 Maciulis, 2b 2 0 0

Deksnys, lf 1 0 1 0

Totals 31 8 11 8 Totals 24 2 6 1

U.S. Southwest 011 040 2 – 8

EMEA 100 100 0 – 2

E-Williams 2, Contreras; Dankdvskis; LOB-U.S. Southwest 7, EMEA 5; 2B-Contreras; Bradauskas; HR-Williams (1); DP-U.S. Southwest 1; S-Byer; Augustinas; SF-Williams; SB-Byer, Garza; Augustinas

U.S. Southwest IP H R ER BB SO

Contreras (W, 1-0) 7 6 2 2 2 5

EMEA IP H R ER BB SO

Vilbikas (L, 0-1) 6 1/3 10 7 5 1 3

Bradauskas 2/3 1 1 1 1 0

HBP-Martunas by Contreras; Martinez by Bradauskas; WP-Contreras; Vilbikas; BK-Vilbikas; T-1:50; ATT-250