The amazin' Gazo!
Canada's Nick Gazo works four shutout innings to help trump Poland
5-1
By
Mark Rogoff
Nick Gazo knew he was
going to see action on the hill before this thing was all said and
done. Canada manager Mike Crepin practically assured the youngster
he'd get to pitch Tuesday against Poland.
"Coach said I was
going to pitch today so I was already warmed up," Gazo said of
throwing off the practice mound even before Crepin told him that
he'd be going in.
Gazo got his shot all
right, relieving Alex Baldock after two innings and tossing four
shutout frames to earn the win as Canada (1-2) defeated Poland 5-1
before 5,500 at Volunteer Stadium.
Gazo retired the first
nine he faced before walking Kamil Michalek to lead off the fifth.
The five-foot, 82-pound righthander struck out eight and gave up
just one hit, a Dominik Strawiak single up the middle to lead off
the sixth.
"It was pretty cool,"
he said of his pitching experience.
Gazo got to keep the
game ball for his efforts.
"I'm saving it," he
said. "I'm never going to use it again."
Baldock led off the
game with a home run, crushing a 1-2 offering from Mateusz Serafin
over the left field fence.
It was the first
leadoff homer of the tournament.
"What's
there to say?" asked a shy, yet witty Baldock. "It was a fastball
inside and I turned on it. It feels amazing. It was awesome."
Poland's Serafin
pitched well in his complete-game loss, allowing just that one
mistake to Baldock. Only one of his five runs allowed was earned,
giving up just three hits as the defense behind him committed
seven errors.
In a display of steady
improvement, however, Poland recorded its first hit and scored its
first run of the Series after coming up empty on both accounts in
its first two games, an 18-0 loss to Chinese Taipei, Taiwan
Saturday and a 9-0 setback to Panama Sunday.
Poland cut the lead in
half at 2-1 in the bottom half of the first. Catcher Arkadiusz
Panasiuk chopped an infield single down the first base line. He
advanced to second on a passed ball and to third when Jakub
Kolasinski grounded out to Canada shortstop Jesse O'Byrne. Serafin
then lined a comebacker that caromed off Baldock's leg. Baldock
was able to recover to get the out at first, but Panasiuk scored
on the play.
Canada came back in
the fourth to score two runs, expanding the lead to 4-1 by taking
advantage of three Poland miscues.
The East Nepean Little
Leaguers tacked on one more in the sixth as Shawn Green scored on
a wild pitch with two outs in the inning.
"It's been three years
since a Canadian team won a game at the Little League World
Series," said manager Crepin. "We were disappointed last night
because (the) 7-2 (loss to Chinese Taipei, Taiwan) was not
reflective of the teams. I'm happy for them to leave with a win."
Click here
for box scores
