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Dramatic ASA Rally Falls Short Against Potomac State in Region XX Tournament May 13, 2011  KEYSER, West Virginia - The old saying goes, "Too Little, Too Late." For the ASA Baseball team, truer words were never said. After enduring two rain delays and an offensive explosion from Potomac State College, the Avengers found their momentum late, but ran out of gas in a 13-12 thriller in the first game of the Region XX Division I Championship Tournament on Friday. ASA started off quick out the gate, scoring three runs in the top half of the first inning on a RBI double from Sophomore C Alberto German (Santo Domingo, DR/Cenapec) and a two-run single from Freshman CF Darwin Duran (Dominican Republic/Cenapec). After a scoreless second, the Avengers would add another run on a wild pitch in the third to bump the lead to 4-0. PSC would respond in the bottom of the third, cutting the ASA lead in half to 4-2 with a RBI double and a bases loaded walk. ASA didn’t increase their lead in the top half of the fourth, stranding one runner on base in the process. That would prove costly, as the Catamounts would break the game open in the bottom half, scoring five runs – an RBI single, a three-run triple, and a RBI double – off of Sophomore P Jonathan Sanchez (Cotui, DR/Liceo Francisco Henriquez y Carvahal) to take a 7-4 lead. After closing out the inning, Sanchez (4 IP, 4 K, 8 BB) would be replaced in relief by Freshman P Pablo Lora (Jersey City, NJ/Bethsaida Velazquez). The Avengers would lead off the top of the fifth inning with a solo HR from Freshman RF Eduardo Valdez (Los Mina, DR/Dr. Fabio Amable Mota), trimming PSC’s lead to 7-5. After Lora recorded two outs in the bottom of the fifth, play was suspended by a nearly two hour rain delay, the first of the contest. After play was resumed, PSC scored another six runs with two outs to extend their lead to 13-5. Lora hit two consecutive batters with the bases loaded, and the next batter would send a grand slam over the left field fence. Lora (2/3 IP, 1 K, 3 BB) would be pulled shortly after for Freshman P Carlos Barreras (Carabobo, Venezuela/UCI Romuilo Galbasos), who would finish the inning. After both teams posted a scoreless sixth inning - and facing an eight-run rule conclusion - ASA caught fire in the seventh. The Avengers drew two walks to start the inning, setting up Valdez up for his second homerun of the game, cutting the deficit to 13-8. A double and second homerun of the inning by German – his first of the game - would make the score 13-10. ASA wouldn’t score after the German HR and Barreras would go through the Catamounts 1-2-3 to end the seventh. After ASA failed to score in the top of the eighth, a second rain delay – this one a little over an hour – halted the game and seemingly the Avengers’ momentum. After the second delay, PSC would threaten to close the game out, loading the bases once again. Barreras (3 1/3 IP, BB) weathered the storm and got out of the inning unscathed, setting up ASA’s shot in the top of the ninth to extend the game. After a ground out by Freshman C/1B Jose Guaba (Dominican Republic/Cuei-Utesa), both Sophomore 1B Nelson Arroyo (Bronx, NY/James Monroe) and Duran reached on singles, and Freshman 3B Johnathan Tineo (Brooklyn, NY/Murry Bergtraum) brought them home with a two-run single. Freshman OF/1B Andrickson Zorrilla (Yonkers, NY/Saunders) successfully hit a bunt single to bring the winning run, in the form of Sophomore SS/2B Deivid Gomez (Santo Domingo, DR/ENI), to the plate. However, Tineo was thrown out looking to advance to third and Gomez flied out, ending the threat, comeback and the game. 13-12 ASA will play in the Elimination Bracket of the Tournament at 12pm Saturday against either top-seeded Harford or four-seed Anne Arundel. PLAYERS OF THE GAME |
