Bronx blasts Spain in 5 innings
By Joe Tuscano
For the Observer-Reporter
newsrooom@observer-reporter.com
Give Spain’s Pony League All-Star Team credit for this. They didn’t give up.
That didn’t make the end result any easier to take after getting blasted, 11-0 in a five-inning Mercy Rule outcome by Bronx, N.Y., in a Pony League World Series game Saturday at Lew Hays Pony Field in Washington Park.
Spain was making its first appearance in the Pony World Series and it showed. Spain had more errors, 3, than hits 2. Spain’s pitching gave up three runs in the first, second and third innings and two in the fourth – that’s 11 runs on only 10 hits – while the team’s pitching walked seven batters and threw six wild pitches.
“They work hard every day. That’s why they don’t make mistakes in the field,” said the Bronx manager Wilson Gutierrez. “They really enjoy this tournament.”
Maybe no one enjoys it more than shortstop Jeremy Puello, who Gutierrez says is the heart and soul of the team. Puello has been rock solid throughout these tournaments.Saturday, he had a double in four trips to the plate and scored a run.
“We just hit all together,” Puello said. “We haven’t hit like that in these tournaments.”
The Bronx won’t have long to celebrate this victory. The champions of the East Zone, play Washington County, the host team, noon on Sunday. Washington County had a bye in the first round.
The Bronx stretched the European Zone losing streak in this tournament to 12 straight.
Spain did leave its mark in at least one issue. Lila D’Hauteville became the first female to play in the Pony League World Series since Annie Rivera did so for Brownsville, Texas, in the 2018 series. D’Hauteville pinch-hit in the fifth inning and struck out.
“I’ve been with the team for a couple of weeks,” D’Hauteville said. “This was the first time I was in the game. He threw me fastballs.”
The outfielder was born in France and learned to speak English in school.