BANGOR, Maine — The Latin American champions have always been formidable at the Senior League World Series, going 25-9 in SLWS play since they came to Bangor’s Mansfield Stadium nine years ago.
And it appears that first-time participant Aruba South from San Nicholas, Aruba, is no exception.
Lefthander Shurman Marlin hurled 4ª innings of one-hit, two-run ball and Aruba belted out 12 hits en route to an 8-4 win over U.S. Central champion West Madison (Wis.) National in the pool-play opener for both teams Sunday night.
Aruba used a four-run first inning to take a lead it would never relinquish and extended it to 8-0.
Madison, no-hit through 4¤ innings, made things interesting by pushing across four runs in the fifth inning.
But reliever Shakir Arrindell pitched out of a bases-loaded, two-outs jam in the sixth and Xander Bogaerts threw a scoreless seventh to subdue the gritty Central champs.
“I’m not used to people hitting my pitches like that. They’re the best team we’ve played, by far,” said Madison starter Gary King, who lasted 3ª innings. “They’re huge and they have a lot of power. I’m not used to that, I guess.”
“I think they only swung and missed three time,” said Madison catcher Abe Lenoch.
“Everybody is a good hitter, one-through-nine,” said Aruba right fielder Cedrik Sint Jago, who had a pair of run-scoring singles.
Aruba had averaged 10.9 runs per game in its seven wins in the 12-team Latin American Tournament.
Darwin Escobar started the first-inning rally by bouncing a single over third baseman Sean Blythe’s head.
He stole second and, after a walk, Xander Bogaerts grounded an opposite-field single to right to score Escobar. Signarf Loopstok’s fielder’s choice produced another run and, following an outfielder error, Jair Bogaerts’ sacrifice fly and Sint Jago’s soft line- drive single to center delivered the final two runs.
“Getting those four runs gave us more confidence,” said Xander Bogaerts.
Escobar scored a second-inning run from third during a rundown involving Jiandido Tromp between first and second; Lynell Koolman’s double, Sint Jago’s RBI single, a walk and Edson Thiel’s sacrifice fly made it 7-0 in the third and Tromp’s booming triple to left center and Xander Bogaert’s sharp single to left extended the lead in the fourth.
Marlin struck out five, walked four and hit a batter during his stint but didn’t give up a hit until pinch-hitter Nate Thill belted an opposite-field RBI double to left center in the fifth.
“I was very happy,” said Marlin. “I was a little nervous because it was my first time in the World Series. I hit my spots and my two-seam fastball was working for me.”
Arrindell replaced him with two outs in the fifth and issued a walk, hit two batters to force in a run and surrendered a two-run single by Blythe.
But alert catcher Loopstok took the late throw to the plate on Blythe’s single and fired to third to nail a Madison runner and end the inning.
U.S. Central (0-1) 000 040 0 — 4 5 1
Latin America (1-0) 412 100 x — 8 12 0
King, Rice (4) and Lenoch; Marlin, Arrindell (5), X. Bogaerts (7) and Loopstok, J. Bogaerts (7).