BANGOR, Maine — One advantage of having a first-round bye in an event such as the Senior League World Series is a day to scout potential opponents from around the globe.
One disadvantage, particularly for a team new to the experience, is that the inevitable pre-tournament jitters have an additional day to build up.
The Old Town Senior League all-stars benefited from the extra day of scouting and overcame any additional fear of the big stage Monday afternoon, scoring six runs its final two at-bats to surge past the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 6-2 in its Senior League World Series debut at Mansfield Stadium.
“We came out a little flatter than we normally would, and I think it was mainly because of nerves,” said Old Town manager Troy Sheehan. “[We had] a couple of miscues early in the game, but we regrouped, got the bats going and did what we do.
“We played some good defense toward the end of the game and knocked down some runners, took some extra bases where we could, got some hits and pitched really well,” he added.
The Asia Pacific champion Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands built a 2-0 lead through 4½ innings and had chances to break the game open early but had two runners thrown out at the plate, a third runner called out because he missed third base en route to scoring, and a fourth runner tagged out at second base after overrunning it during a stolen-base try.
“We outhit them [11-10],” said Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands manager Greg Camacho. “I tell the kids that when they minimize some of their mistakes they’re unbeatable. It didn’t happen today.”
Old Town, 1-0 in the modified double-elimination tournament, will play U.S. Central champion Holmes County, Ohio, in a winners’ bracket game at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Holmes County defeated Canadian champion Regina, Saskatchewan, 6-3 in its tournament opener Sunday.
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 1-1, will face the winner of Monday’s late game between Saskatchewan and Lazio, Italy, in an elimination contest at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
Old Town managed just two infield hits through the first three innings against Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, then left the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth before breaking through an inning later against the Asia Pacific bullpen.
Jacob Ketch, the No. 9 hitter in the Old Town lineup, led off the bottom of the fifth with a double down the left-field line. He went to third on an errant pickoff throw before scoring on Nick Boutin’s groundout that produced the second out of the inning.
Kaleb Gifford then drew a walk before back-to-back singles by Ethan Stoddard and Austin Sheehan produced the tying run.
The Maine District 3 champs took the lead an inning later, sending 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth.
Jake Dubay drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch but was still there after Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands reliever John Atalig retired the next two batters.
T.J. Crawford was hit by a pitch before Ryan Hoogterp returned to his spot in the batting order after sitting out three innings and singled to left on a 2-0 fastball to drive home Dubay with the go-ahead run — with Crawford also scoring when the throw home was misplayed.
“When I came back in I mainly stepped up to the plate just to get a big hit for my team,” said Hoogterp. “I had two balls on me, the kid pitched it right down the middle, and I knew I just had to take a swing at it.
“It was definitely one of my favorite moments playing baseball,” he added, “getting a big hit for my team in the World Series,”
Hoogterp soon scored on a wild pitch, and after Gifford singled and Stoddard walked, Sheehan delivered his second RBI in as many innings with a single to center.
“We always get our runs in the later innings, it’s weird,” said Sheehan, son of the Old Town manager. “It usually takes us an inning or two to get the bats going, but once we do, they keep going.”
Hoogterp, Gifford and Sheehan each had two hits for Old Town, while Franklin Lizama, Franko Nakamura and Henry Lizama each had two hits for Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Stoddard, the third of four Old Town pitchers, earned the win with two innings of two-hit, shutout relief as Old Town employed a pitcher-by-committee approach that will leave its entire staff save for Gifford — who must sit one day after throwing 45 pitches — eligible for Tuesday night’s game.
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a RBI single by Lizama and made it 2-0 in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by Jobe Reyes.
