Covina rises up, shuts down Washington
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Washington’s Jarrod West leads off of first base against California during the Pony League World Series at Lew Hays Pony Field in Washington on Sunday, August 13, 2017.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Washington’s Chad Johnson misses the tag on Californiaþ’s James Jimenez during the Pony League World Series at Lew Hays Pony Field in Washington on Sunday, August 13, 2017.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Washington’s Ben Hardy misses the tag on California’s Hector Bautista during the Pony League World Series at Lew Hays Pony Field in Washington on Sunday, August 13, 2017.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Washington’s Chad Johnson hits a single against California during the Pony League World Series at Lew Hays Pony Field in Washington on Sunday, August 13, 2017.
All the momentum the Washington County team forged Saturday in an opening-game victory over the Netherlands at the Pony League World Series was gone after about 18 hours.
That’s when James Jimenez started throwing sweeping sliders and hitting baseballs off the outfield wall at Lew Hays Pony Field.
Jimenez threw a five-hit shutout, and added a double and triple, as well-rested Covina, Calif., defeated Washington County 10-0 in five innings Sunday afternoon.
The win puts Covina in an 8 p.m. game tonight against undefeated Bay County, Mich. Washington will play an elimination game at 12:30 p.m. today against either Brownsville, Texas, or Netherlands.
“The momentum didn’t carry over,” Washington County manager Scott Downer confirmed.
It was wiped away in one inning. Covina scored four runs in the bottom of the first and didn’t seem bothered by being the last of the 10 teams to play its opening game and having to do so with an early start time (9 a.m. Pacific).
“I think having to wait a couple of days to play helped us with the start time,” Covina manager Richard Graciano said. “Being here for two days got us used to the time change. We had a hard practice Saturday and some eagerness had set in. The boys came out ready to play.”
Covina scored in every inning except the third and was helped by wildness from Washington County pitchers. In sharp contrast to its well-pitched game against the Netherlands, Washington County walked four batters, hit another and threw three wild pitches.
Two of the walks came in the opening inning and each came around to score.
“It’s all about the first inning,” Downer said. “Two walks and two errors, though only one error was put on the scoreboard. There were two plays in that inning, that if we make defensively, then we’re out of it with no runs scoring.”
With one out, Covina’s Robert Hernandez drew a walk off Washington County starter Blake Stanton and that’s when the trouble began. Consecutive singles by Luke Willison and Parker Miramontez and a throwing error made it 1-0. A wild pitch allowed Willison to score and another walk preceeded Anthony Rasmussen’s RBI double. Another wild pitch sent Jake Vargas across home plate with Covina’s fourth run of the inning.
That was enough of a cushion for Jimenez, who worked in and out of trouble in almost every inning. Washington County left eight runners on base as Jimenez was able to use his sweeping slider – he called it his “go-to pitch” – to get a key out whenever the shutout was in jeopardy. Jimenez walked two and struck out seven.
“We had him on the ropes in two or three innings in a row but couldn’t get the clutch hit,” Downer said. “We have no excuses.
“He threw a slider that we were swinging over the top of. We were hitting his fastball, but the slider, even when we knew it was coming, we couldn’t layoff off of the pitch.”
Hernandez hit a double off the left-field wall that scored Chase Kito and made it 5-0 in the second inning. Miramontez hit a two-run double to the wall in centerfield during the fourth inning, making it 7-0.
Jimenez, who tripled in the third inning but was left stranded, doubled off the wall in right centerfield to start the fifth and scored on a single by Chris Munoz.
“It was tough watching every other team play before us,” Jimenez said. “I had to go to sleep early Saturday night to make sure the time difference didn’t bother me.”
Hector Bautista, Covina’s catcher and leadoff hitter, ended the game with a two-run homer.
Graciano said he’s not ready to call Jimenez the ace of his pitching staff but said the right-hander earned the right to start the team’s opener.
“I have three other pitchers who are solid, but Jimenez deserved to start this one,” Graciano said. “In the zone tournament and in the super regional, he won two huge games for us.”
Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers John Smiley and Chris Peters and outfielder Omar Moreno were in attendance as part of the Pirates Day activities. … Four games are scheduled both Monday and Tuesday. The daytime doubleheader each day will be elimination games. … Covina is making its fourth appearance in the world series. In each of the previous three, Covina has advanced to the championship game.