This year’s Senior League World Series has its third entry, and save for the host district its the most familiar face in the field since the event moved to Bangor in 2002.

The Sierra Maestra Little League of Maracaibo, Venezuela, won the Latin America qualifying tournament Saturday, edging the Pabao Little League of Willemstad, Curacao, 8-5 in the championship game to earn a berth in the 10-team SLWS that runs Aug. 10-16 at Mansfield Stadium.

This will mark the third straight year Venezuela has sent a representative to the SLWS, and the fourth time in the last five years.

The Paraguana LL of Falcon, Venezuela, fell to Cartersville, Ga., 9-0 in last year’s championship game after defeating Pearl City, Hawaii, 4-2, to win the 2006 series. Another team from Maracaibo, the San Francisco LL, reached the 2004 semifinals before being ousted by Oxnard, Calif., 1-0.

Latin America has been one of the most consistent performers in the SLWS during its first six years in Bangor, winning two titles (Venezuela in 2006, Curacao in 2002), and reaching the championship game two other times (Venezuela in 2007, Curacao in 2003).

Only once has the Latin American champion failed to advance out of pool play, in 2005 when Santiago Veraguas, Panama, went 2-2 and finished third in Pool B.

The top two teams in each five-team pool advance to the semifinals.

The Venezuelan team will join champions from Europe-Middle East-Africa (EMEA), and the U.S. Central, East and Southwest in Pool B play this year. The Latin American champions will open play in the SLWS against the U.S. Central at 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10.

Venezuela advanced unbeaten through this year’s Latin America regional held at St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The champs defeated Puerto Rico (6-2), Panama (7-2) and the Dominican Republic 14-4 in pool play, then edged Santa Cruz, Aruba, 5-4 in the semifinals before outlasting a high-scoring Curacao team that had outscored its three pool opponents 45-9 before routing Mexico 10-0 in the semifinals.

The Venezuelan team joins EMEA champion Vilnius, Lithuania, and Asia-Pacific champion Makati City, Philippines, as teams that already have qualified for the 2008 SLWS.

A fourth entry, the Maine District 3 champion, will be crowned this week, with teams Bangor, Brewer and Hampden still alive to serve as the SLWS host team.

Series representatives from Canada and five U.S. regions will be determined in early August.

eclark@bangordailynews.net

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