BANGOR – The team from South Vineland, N.J., has developed a knack for putting runs on the board in the first inning of its games.

The United States’ East Region champion continued the trend during the opening game of the Senior League Baseball World Series. But that was where its momentum ended.

U.S. Central winner South Bend, Ind., fell behind immediately, but responded with a seven-run, first-inning rally that paved the way for an 11-7 victory at sun-drenched Mansfield Stadium.

“We’ve never been to the Series and there was no doubt we had some jitterbugs in that first inning,” said South Bend manager Dave Deram. “Our kids understand that there’s a lot of baseball left, so there was no sense of panic at all.”

South Bend righthander Jeff Sinkiewicz allowed four runs in the first inning, but gave up only three runs the rest of the way, striking out two and walking five.

“I just knew that we were going to hit the ball for the rest of the game,” Sinkiewicz said of his mental approach after the shaky start, during which he walked a batter, was victimized by an error, and surrendered three hits.

“All I had to do was throw strikes and the defense would make the plays and we’d win,” he added.

South Bend is idle today, while South Vineland has an 8 p.m. game against Asia-Pacific champion Manila, Philippines.

South Bend, which played eight close games while earning its trip to Bangor, responded quickly after spotting South Vineland a 4-0 lead. The Central champs sent 11 batters to the plate against South Vineland starter Sean Rivera and reliever Chris Acevedo.

Rivera walked four of the first five batters and recorded only one out before being lifted.

“We came out stroking it the first inning,” Rivera said. “After that it kind of stopped, after my pitching display.”

Bobby Jordan, Nick Baker, and Charleton Keultjes stroked run-scoring singles to fuel the uprising.

“We’ve been in this situation [being behind] plenty of times before,” Baker said. “I wasn’t worried once.”

Sinkiewicz gave up three hits and a run in the second, but induced an inning-ending double play grounder to third base that snuffed out the rally.

Baker led South Bend with three singles and two RBIs, while Dustin Coffman doubled, singled, and knocked in two runs. John Davis and Jordan each added two singles.

Luis Nieves doubled and singled with an RBI to pace South Vineland, which received at least one hit from eight of its nine starters.

SOUTH BEND, IND. 11, SOUTH VINELAND, N.J. 7

So. Vineland (0-1) So. Bend (1-0)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Ford, cf 4 2 1 0 Keultjes, 2b 2 1 1

S. Rivera, p-3b 3 0 1 0 Davis, ss 5 1

Martinez, 1b 4 1 1 1 Bennitt, 3b 4 1 0

O’Donnell, rf 3 1 1 1 Piennette, 1b 2 1

Nieves, c 3 2 2 1 Keough, c 2 1 1

Acevedo, 3b-p 3 1 1 0 Coffman, cf 3 2

Heredia, ss 2 0 1 2 Jordan, rf 3 2 2

b-Myrie 1 0 0 0 Miller, rf 0 0 0

Castillo, lf 3 0 1 0 Baker, lf 4 2 2

Ruggiero, 2b 0 0 0 0 Sinkiewicz, p 1 0 2

a-Lugo, 2b 1 0 0 0 e-McDonald 1 0 0

c-Cichy, p 2 0 1 0

d-A. Rivera 1 0 0 0

Totals 30 7 10 5 Totals 27 11 11 11

a-grounded out for Ruggiero in the second; b-ran for Martinez in the first, ran for Nieves in the third, ran for Cichy in the fourth, grounded out for Heredia in the sixth; c-ran for A. Rivera in the sixth; d-reached on an error for Cichy in the sixth; e-flied out for Sinkiewicz in the sixth

South Vineland, N.J. 410 000 2 ? 7

South Bend, Ind. 710 201 x ? 11

E?Davis 3; LOB?So. Vineland 8; So. Bend 10; 2B?Ford, O’Donnell, Nieves, Castillo, Acevedo; Coffman; DP?Bennitt-Piennette, Davis-Bennett-Piennette; S?Keough, Sinkiewicz; SF?Heredia; Coffman; SB?Myrie; Keough, Keultjes

So. Vineland IP H R ER BB SO

S. Rivera (L) 1/3 3 7 7 4 0

Acevedo 2/3 1 0 0 0 0

Cichy 5 7 4 4 4 3

So. Bend IP H R ER BB SO

Sinkiewicz (W) 7 10 7 6 5 2

HBP?Jordan, Keultjes by Cichy; WP?Rivera, Acevedo, Cichy; Sinkiewicz; T?2:10; ATT?500 (est.)