Bay County great late in victory
Through three innings Saturday afternoon, Brownsville, Texas, looked as if it was going to easily beat Bay County, Mich., in a first-round matchup of the Pony League World Series.
Brownsville led 3-0 and its pitcher, Rafael Capistran, was throwing a no-hitter.
The next four innings at Lew Hays Pony Field were a different story.
Bay County scored two runs in the fourth, three in the fifth and one in the sixth en route to a 6-4 come-from-behind win.
“That’s what’s been going on all year,” said Bay County manager Dan Revette. “We seem to get behind, but we always seem to come back and win it in about the fifth or sixth inning.”
A vital part of the comeback for Bay County was Mason Kolak. The No. 4-hitter in the lineup walked and scored a run in the fourth, roped a two-run double in the fifth, singled home a run in the sixth and threw a scoreless seventh inning of relief for the save.
“He came up big time,” Revette said. “That’s what he’s there for, and he did his job.”
To start the game, Bay County starting pitcher Blake Waibel plunked the first batter and walked the next two to load the bases with no outs. After a strikeout, Jose Banda smacked a triple off the centerfield wall to clear the bases and give Brownsville a 3-0 lead.
Waibel then allowed two of the first three batters to reach base in the second inning before retiring the next five batters in order to end his day on the mound. The lefty struck out six and walked two.
After Capistran’s dominant first three innings, Bay County adjusted to his hard fastball and sharp breaking ball. Brenden Bonnell and Logan Hugo both singled in the fourth and Kolak followed with a walk.
Capistran almost escaped the jam, getting the next two batters out without a run scoring, but then Grant Horner singled home Hugo and Kolak to make the score 3-2. Horner’s single was a well-placed, infield chopper that bounced off the glove of the Brownsville first baseman.
Brownsville answered in the fifth off Horner, Bay County’s relief pitcher. Banda grounded out to score Derick Ramirez and take a 4-2 lead. Horner provided solid relief for Bay County, allowing one unearned run in three innings.
Of Bay County’s three runs in the fifth inning, two were earned, on Kolak’s double, and one was unearned, on a Horner bases-loaded walk that scored Hugo, who reached on an error.
Capistran allowed five runs (four earned) and five across 4 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked two.
“We made several errors that really affected the game,” said Brownsville manager Fernando Torres. “If we make those plays, then we win the game or we’re still playing right now. But I think Rafael pitched a great game. It just came down to the fact that our defense didn’t do its job.”
Kolak’s sixth-inning single then gave Bay County a two-run cushion to shut the door in the seventh and give Bay County the 6-4 win.
Brownsville will play the Netherlands, which lost its first-round game Saturday, at 5 p.m. today.
Bay County advances to face the winner of today’s matchup between Covina, Calif., and Washington County, which won its first-round game Saturday. That game will be played Monday at 8 p.m.
Bay County nearly emptied its bench, playing 14 of its 15 players. … Bay County’s Eric Randall finished second in the Fastest Runner Competition, which took place Friday morning before tournament play began. … Bay County is making its sixth straight appearance in the Pony League World Series, and eighth in the last nine years. Last year, Bay County finished in third place. … Brownsville has competed in the Pony League World Series two times, with its last appearance being 2013.