Aruba abuses Hawks 17-1 in World Series Game 2

  • By Dave Mast
  • August 17, 2010
  • 277
                        
The Hawks of Holmes County were flying high heading into their Game 2 match-up with Aruba in the Senior Little League World Series in Bangor, Maine on Tuesday, but Aruba created a cement wall that stopped the Hawks flight dead in their tracks as Aruba dismantled Holmes County 17-1. Aruba blew open a tied 0-0 game in the third inning, and the Hawks had plenty to do with the 8-0 deficit as did Aruba. Pitcher Luke Birch had gotten through the first two innings, thanks to a pair of defensive gems in which Ryan Troyer and BJ Miller turned a double play in the first and Miller threw out a runner attempting to score from third on a double steal in the second. However, after four walks, two hit batters, three hits and two errors, the only thing in doubt was what the final score would end up being. "It's not the final score, but the thing that bothers me the most is that once we got down and had to face adversity, we just stopped competing," said Holmes County manager Mike Yoder. "I really felt that we could at least compete with this ball club, but once we got down we just didn't give any effort, and that's disappointing." While the Hawks were busy imploding, the team from San Nicholas, Aruba was busy putting the wood to leather and getting outs. Pitcher Juan Carlos Moncion was dominant, as were Mark Danies and Dwayne Luidens, who combined to limit the Hawks to just two hits. Aruba was coming off of a devastating extra-inning loss to West representative Manhattan Beach, California, and they came ready to get back on track. "It felt like we were a little nervous early after getting beat last night, but we felt at some point we would start hitting like we can," said catcher Chadwick Tromp. "We've kind of survived on base running so far, but we know we have a talented team that can hit too, and we showed that today." Moncion said that the team stuck together to keep its spirits up after the loss to California, its first of the entire tournament from its District play to now. "It was a matter of rebuilding our confidence, and getting back at it with a win," said Moncion. "We came here thinking we could win this, and that's still our goal." Ten of the Aruba players are 15 years old, and played for the Aruba team that finished second in the Junior Little League World Series last year in Michigan. For the Hawks, it re4mains to be seen how they will rebound, but Yoder said it will test the character of the team to come back and continue playing the kind of baseball that got them to the World Series. "Their pitching was the best we've faced, period," said Yoder of Aruba. "They want this badly, and there is the level we played in our first game where we played with almost flawlessly and with confidence, and then there's another level that these guys are on, where you can't afford to make mistakes. Once we got down, it snowballed and those doubts about competing with a good team came back." The lone hits of the contest for the Hawks belonged to Brandon Wengerd, who singled in the second, and Richie Mast, who lined a double down the third base line to plate Bryce Mast, who had walked. The loss leaves Holmes County at 1-1, and facing must win games against Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Manhattan Beach California. "I just want the kids to go enjoy this experience and play as well as they can," said Yoder. "Whatever happens, happens. I just want us to go compete."


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