It was a slugfest Thursday night at the Alvin McBean East Little League, with both teams combining for 14 runs in only the first three innings.
The league’s best team, the Reds, needed a wakeup call from their coach Franklin Leonard as the lonely Sox, with only one win on the season, stood toe to toe with them through three innings.
Reds starting pitcher Jonathan Juse had a rough start to the game, walking his first batter, who eventually came around to score the first run of the night. But Juse settled in and got himself out of the first with just that one run scored.
Sox pitcher Angel Durant had similar command problems, walking his first batter. Two hitters later, a shot to left field had the Reds threatening with runners on second and third, and one out. Durant walked the next batter to load the bases for Juse, who got a hit between short and third that got under the left fielder’s glove and the all the way to the fence for a three RBI double.
After walking the next two batters to load the bases, Durant buckled down and struck out the next two to get out the inning, with only the three runs scored and the Reds leading 3-1.
In the second inning, Juse’s control problems returned, as he walked the bases loaded with only one out. The very next pitch flew over the catcher’s head, allowing the runner from third to score and cutting the lead to 3-2, Reds. After a long at-bat, the Sox hit a three-two pitch to right centerfield, scoring two runs, with the batter winding up with a triple.
At this point, the Sox had a 4-3 lead.
The next batter hit a chopper up the middle to score the runner from third, extending the lead to 5-3. One more run scored in the inning to make it 6-3, Sox.
The Reds evened up the score in their half of the second and then traded runs in the third, to make the score 7-7. The Reds exploded at that point, moving on to the 19-7 win.
For the Reds, top hitters were Caleem Serrant (2-3) and Jamari Benjamin (1-1). Top hitters for the Sox were Eugene Farrell (2-3) and Jamari Phillips (1-3).
Durant took the loss for the Sox.
