Fischer, Mick spark U.S. East’s late-inning rally

loading...

BANGOR – It would’ve been easy for the Senior Leaguers from Upper Deerfield, N.J., to fold.

They had pushed across three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning of Thursday’s Pool B showdown with Willemsted, Curacao, only to see the Latin American champs jump on top 4-3 with a three-run uprising of their own in the sixth.

But the boys from south Jersey had plenty of punch left, as Darren Fischer hit a towering home run in the sixth and Gabe Mick a two-out single in the seventh to give the U.S. East regional representatives a spot in today’s semifinals with a thrilling 5-4 victory at Mansfield Stadium Thursday.

The Pool B champs (4-0) take on Pool A runner-up Whalley, British Columbia, Canada at 2:30 p.m. today.

Curacao falls to 2-2 in pool play.

U.S. South champ Boynton Beach, Fla., wrapped up the top spot in Pool A with a 3-2 victory over the Canadians in Thursday’s early game.

In the second game, Fischer got a 1-0 fastball from Curacao starter Jonathan Schoop and knew exactly what to do with it, depositing it over the left-field fence to knot the score at 4.

“He was throwing fastballs all [day], it was flat and I was just sitting on it,” said Fischer, who was also the winning pitcher.

“I knew it was gone as soon as I hit it.”

That set the stage for Upper Deerfield in the last of the seventh. After starter Andrew Owens and Fischer combined to retire Curacao in order in the top half, Mike Casper legged out an infield single, took second on a throwing error and went to third on a wild pitch.

Leadoff batter Mick, a righty facing a 2-2 count, took a knee-high fastball and sent it the other way into right to give New Jersey the victory.

“I just approached it like any other at bat,” said Mick. “[Curacao reliever Curtney Doran] just gave a fastball down the middle and I did what I was supposed to do with it.”

Curacao got on the board first with a run in the second before New Jersey responded with three in the fourth, highlighted by Chet Godfrey’s RBI single.

The Latin Americans came roaring back against Owens, who pitched a strong game with four runs – only one of which was earned – six hits, one walk and nine strikeouts.

Dudley Leonora notched the lone RBI in that rally with a fielders choice while the other two runs scored on an error.

Other than that, Owens kept Curacao off-balance with a diet of fastballs, curveballs, changeups and the occasional slider.

“I noticed they weren’t really picking up the curveball that well, they were taking a lot of strikes,” said Owens. “Also, the slider was very effective today, that helped me out a lot.”

Owens gave way to Fischer with two outs in the seventh after amassing 95 pitches, the limit in Senior League ball.

“His curveball and fastball were working good, his key is getting ahead of the hitters,” said New Jersey manager Jim Willis.

New Jersey got a slight scare in the sixth when an inside pitch hit the handle of Owens’ bat, then his left (non-pitching) hand.

Willis thought that his pitcher had been struck by the pitch, but the umpire determined it was a foul ball.

“The ump said it hit the bat, it could’ve fooled me, that ball hit his hand, but we’re just thankful it was his left hand,” Willis said. “We’ll put ice on it and see how it goes. I know he’s a warrior so he’ll be out there.”

Jack Tyler was Upper Deerfield’s lone repeat hitter with two singles while driving in a run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

Dursley Ignacio singled twice and scored for Curacao.

In the early game, Boynton Beach, Fla., jumped out to a 2-0 lead after three innings thanks to Dylan Massey’s RBI double and Nick Worrall’s RBI groundout, but there would be no comeback on the Floridians this time, as four pitchers combined on a seven-hitter.

Canada cut the deficit in half in the top of the fifth but Mike Kelly responded with an RBI single in the bottom half to give Boynton Beach some insurance.

“I got a hit when it counted. My first at-bats I didn’t really do too great,” said Kelly, who came on to pitch the seventh inning to nail down the save.

Quincy Andrews picked up the win for Florida, scattering two runs and four hits in 3 2/3 innings of work.

Canada starter Brandon Bufton, who gave up only seven hits in a complete-game effort, kept a dangerous Florida lineup in check with a solid assortment of breaking pitches that forced eight ground-ball outs.

“[Bufton had] a little slider that had kind of a late break, it was hard to adjust,” Kelly said.

Florida manager Joe Irene went deep in his rotation, electing to save his top pitchers for the championship round.

“I didn’t want to burn my pitchers out but at the same time I wanted to win the game,” Irene said.

Ryan Pistey added a double for Boynton Beach while Connor Nishimura doubled for Canada. Justin Atkinson knocked in the Canadians’ first run with a fielders choice while Bufton’s sacrifice fly drove in the other.

rmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net

990-8193

U.S. SOUTH 3, CANADA 2

Whalley, B.C. (2-1) Boynton Beach, Fla. (4-0)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Massey, ss 3 0 1 1 Lankmayr, rf 3 0 0

Worrall, 3b 2 1 1 1 Quan, cf 4 0 0

W. Bonilla, p-1b 1 0 1 0 Atkinson, ss 4 1

Andrews, p 1 0 0 0 Brien, 1b 4 0 0

Saldovar, p 0 0 0 0 Wearing, pr 0 1 0

Kelly, 1b-p 3 0 1 1 Rohla, 3b 3 1 0

A. Bonilla, c 3 0 1 0 Fischer, lf 2 0

Cole, pr 0 0 0 0 Bufton, p 2 0 1

Durgan, rf 2 0 0 0 Nishimura, 2b 2 0 0

Pistey, lf 2 0 1 0 Buse, c 2 0 1 0

Mazzacari, 2b 3 1 1 0 Morache, ph 0 0

Faland, cf 1 1 0 0

Totals 21 3 7 3 Totals 26 2 7 2

Canada 000 011 0 – 2

U.S. South 002 010 x – 3

LOB-Canada 9, U.S. South 5; 2B-Massey, Pistey; Nishimura; DP-Canada 2, U.S. South 1; SF-Bufton; SB-Mazzacari, Andrews

Canada IP H R ER BB SO

Bufton (L) 6 7 3 3 4 3

U.S. South IP H R ER BB SO

W. Bonilla 2 2 0 0 0 0

Andrews (W) 3 2/3 4 2 2 5 1

Saldovar 1/3 0 0 0 0 0

Kelly (S) 1 1 0 0 0 0

WP-Andrews, Kelly; Bufton 2; BK-Andrews; PB-A. Bonilla; T-1:45; ATT-400

U.S. EAST 5, LATIN AMERICA 4

Willemsted, Curacao (2-2) Upper Deerfield, N.J.(4-0)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Garia, rf 2 0 0 0 Mick, 2b-lf-1b 3 0 1

Liberia, rf 2 1 1 0 Fischer, rf-p 2 2 1

Ignacio, cf-lf 3 1 2 0 Larro, cf 3 0

Moesquit, 2b 2 0 0 0 Godfrey, ss 2 1 1

Profar, ss-3b 3 1 1 0 Tyler, 3b 2 1

Schoop, p-ss 3 1 1 0 Owens, p-1b 2 0 1

Leondra, 3b-1b 3 0 1 2 Griffith, pr-2b 1 0

Doran, lf-p 2 0 0 0 Marshall, 1b 2 0 0

Celestyn, cf 1 0 0 0 Willis, lf 1 0 0

Rojer, 1b-cf 2 0 0 0 Overstreet, ph 1 0 0

Rondei, c 3 0 0 0 Fogg, lf-rf 1 0 0

Casper, c 2 1 1 0

Johnson, ph 1 0 0 0

Totals 26 4 6 2 Totals 23 5 7 5

Latin America 010 003 0 – 4

U.S. East 000 301 1 – 5

E-Profar 2, Schoop, Doran; Tyler; LOB-Latin America 3, U.S. East 3; HR-Fischer; SB-Moesquit; Godfrey, Owens

Latin America IP H R ER BB SO

Schoop 6 5 4 3 1 4

Doran (L) 2/3 2 1 0 0 1

U.S. East IP H R ER BB SO

Owens 6 2/3 6 4 1 1 9

Fischer (W) 1/3 0 0 0 0 0

HBP-Shoop (by Mick); WP-Shoop, Doran; PB-Casper; T-1:59; ATT-550