Berrones’ Walkoff clenches victory for Mexico
Source: South Williamsport, Pa.
Date/Time: Sunday, August 30, 2009, 11:00am ET
Sunday’s Consolation Game at Volunteer Stadium pitting the Southwest Region
Champions from San Antonio, Texas against the Mexico Region Champions from
Reynosa, Tamaulipas. Mexico brought along a throng of red- and green-clad fans
that summed up the contest.
In a game where the lead switched hands on three separate occasions, the fans
from Reynosa continued to bang the bleachers and shout, “Si se puede!” Yes they
can. Infielder Raymundo Berrones must have got the message.
With his team down by a score of 4-3 entering the last inning, Berrones blasted
a two-run shot past dead center field to put his team up by the final score of
5-4. He rounded the bases to the sound of a crazed Mexican contingent that never
gave up on its team.
Mexico first took the lead with two outs in the top of third inning when
starting pitcher Raul Rojas and Luis Perez rallied their team from a 1-0
deficit. Brando Flores drew a walk and Oscar Noguera smacked a base hit to put
men on, then Rojas scored Flores with a run-scoring base hit.
Perez immediately followed him by swatting a triple down the right field line,
scoring Noguera and Rojas to put Mexico up 3-1.
San Antonio replied with a two-out rally of their own in the bottom of the same
inning. Drew Brooks drew a walk and Travis Daves hit an RBI double to cut the
lead to 3-2. Daves than tied the game at 3-3 when he scored as John Shull
reached base on an error by Mexico’s second baseman.
In the bottom of the fourth, Nicholas Smisek gave San Antonio a 4-3 with a base
hit RBI to score starting pitcher Steven Cardone.
Although San Antonio couldn’t hold on to their lead the whole game, they held
fast in the fifth with a display of defense that showed the crowd at Volunteers
Stadium why they were only one game away from the World Series Championship
Game.
Center Fielder Wyatt Willis robbed Noguera of a homer with a spectacular grab at
the warning track in center field for the second out, while shortstop Smisek
closed the inning by making the catch on a hard liner that whizzed just an inch
past his right ear.
But they couldn’t hold on in the sixth, so team Mexico and their fans left
Williamsport, Pa., with one more reason for fiesta.