Komenda delivers in pinch for Washington County
If you’re going to get only one at-bat during one of the longest days ever at the Pony League World Series, then you might as well make the most of your opportunity.
That’s what Washington County’s Blake Komenda did Monday night.
Komenda delivered a tiebreaking pinch-hit RBI single in the fourth inning, and Logan Coughman and Colman McGuiness combined on a six-hitter as Washington County defeated Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, 4-3, in a winner’s bracket game at soggy Lew Hays Pony Field.
It was decided before the game that it would be a five-inning contest, and Komenda’s clutch hit came in the bottom of the fourth. It broke a 3-3 tie and sends Washington County (2-0) into a game at 4:30 p.m. today against either Guaynabo or Navojoa, Mexico.
Washington County’s Blake Westfall, who played a key role in an earlier run by the host team, led off the bottom of the fourth with a triple to the wall in center field. Komenda, a student at Seton LaSalle, was then sent to the plate as a pinch-hitter.
“Before the inning, we had talked about putting Blake in as a pinch-hitter,” explained Washington County manager JP Przybylinski. “Situations just worked out for doing it.”
“They didn’t tell me I was hitting until (Westfall) was batting, so I didn’t have much time,” Komenda said.
Guaynabo pitcher Eiden O’Farrill got two strikes on Komenda, but the lefty hitter smacked a ground ball through the right side of the infield to drive in Westfall with what turned out to be the game-winning run.
“Before the inning we had talked about putting Blake in as a pinch-hitter,” explained Washington County manager JP Przybylinski. “Situations just worked out for doing it.
“He’s a patient guy. He’s also 6-4 and only 14 years old, so he has that going for him. He’s a power hitter.”
Komenda didn’t need to be a power hitter in this at-bat. He just wanted to get the ball out of the infield.
“I was just looking to make contact,” Komenda said. “He threw me a slider. He hung it a little.”
McGuiness replaced Coughman, who pitched the first four innings, and secured the win. The hard-throwing righthander simply overpowered Guaynabo, striking out all three batters he faced.
Coughman struck out six.
Guaynabo scored first. The Caribbean Zone champion pushed across one run in the top of the first inning but short-circuited what could have been a big frame with bad baserunning.
James Feliciano led off the game with a line drive to right field that Washington County’s Carter Rukavina dove to catch but the ball was just out of his reach. Feliciano raced all the way to third base for a leadoff triple.
O’Farrill followed with a two-strike single up the middle to drive in Feliciano.
Before the inning would end, Guaynabo would make two outs at third base. O’Farrill was thrown out trying to advance two bases on an infield error, and Anthony Roman was thrown out trying to steal third base by Washington County catcher Cam Jobkar.
Washington County tied it in the bottom of the second, scoring without the benefit of a hit. Jobkar was hit in the arm with the first pitch of the inning. Westfall followed by bouncing into a fielder’s choice that erased Jobkar.
Evan Campbell then dropped down a sacrifice bunt and was retired, but Westfall was aggressive on the basepaths and tried to advance from first to third. The throw across the diamond from Guaynabo first baseman Sergio Pagan was high and went to the retaining fence, allowing Westfall to race home and score on what started as a bunt that traveled 30 feet up the first-base line.
Guaynabo went back on top in the third. Anthuan Medina, the No. 9 hitter in the lineup, doubled to deep right field to start the inning. After Coughman struck out Feliciano, O’Farrill hit the first pitch of his at-bat the opposite way, down the right-field line, for a two-run homer and 3-1 Guaynabo advantage.
The lead didn’t last long, and again Guaynabo errors played a big role in Washington County’s scoring.
A two-base throwing error on a ground ball hit by Rukavina gave the hosts a break with one out. Coughman was hit by a pitch with two outs, and courtesy runner Brock Morgan stole second base without a throw to put two runners in scoring position. McGuiness then hit a roller to shortstop that was thrown low to first for an error, allowing Rukavina and Morgan to score.
“We were playing in sloppy field conditions, so we had to put the ball in play,” Przybylinski said. “We talked about that before the game.”
Chinese Taipei, 4-2
Defending champion Chinese Taipei (Taichung City) became the other undefeated team remaining when it defeated Hagerstown, Md., 4-2, in the final game of the day.
Chinese Taipei made the most of only three hitters. The Asia-Pacific Zone champion took advantage of two Hagerstown errors in the third inning to take a 3-0 lead.
Winning pitcher Zi-Han Yang threw a three-hitter with six strikeouts.
Hagerstown’s run came on a two-run homer by Blake Truett in the fourth inning.
Hagerstown will play an elimination game today at 12:30 p.m. against West Covina, Calif. Chinese Taipei will play the winner at 7 p.m.