Venezuela set records en route to undefeated title run

The 2006 Senior League World Series began with a thrilling no-hitter by Maine District 3’s Jordan Clarke over Canada as host district champion Bangor defeated Regina, Saskatchewan, in the opening game, 3-0. Clarke’s no-hitter was the second in World Series play since the series moved to Mansfield in 2002. Hilo, Hawaii, used four pitchers in a 5-0 no-hit win over Moscow, Russia, in 2003.

Strong pitching dominated the first day of play, as Bloomfield, N.J., one-hit Brussels, Belgium, and Falcon, Venezuela, one-hit Madison, Wis., in a five-inning game shortened by the 10-run rule that saw the Latin America champ score a Mansfield Stadium World Series record 28 runs.

Venezuela’s opening day offensive attack put the team well on its way to a record-breaking series at Mansfield as the team became the first to go undefeated, 6-0, as it won its country’s first Senior League World Series since 1997. Venezuela set a Mansfield Stadium series record for most wins, most hits (80), most runs (71), and highest batting average (.444). The previous team record at Mansfield for highest batting average was .373, set in 2003 by South Vineland, N.J. The previous record for most hits was 60, set in 2002 by Boynton Beach, Fla. Willemstad, Curacao, scored 61 runs on its way to the 2002 title. Venezuela’s seven triples tied the series record, set by Curacao in 2002. Yorktown, Va., the U.S. South champ, also tied the record. Individually for Venezuela, Eduardo Cuba set a Mansfield series record with 13 hits and tied the record for most total bases, with 19. Teammate Rito Garcia set a record for most RBIs, with 10.

While Venezuela went through pool play undefeated to capture the top spot in Pool B, New Jersey made that state’s third consecutive appearance in the semifinals, with a 3-1 pool record. No other state or nation has made three straight semifinal appearances since 2002. Freehold Township won the series in 2004 and lost to Pearl City in the 2005 semifinals.

Pearl City, Hawaii, which lost the 2005 championship game 7-2 to Urbandale, Iowa, returned to Bangor and duplicated its 4-0 pool play record from the previous year on its way to a semifinal berth from Pool A. Virginia went 3-1 to capture the pool’s second spot. Hawaii easily defeated New Jersey, 7-3, in its semifinal game, scoring all of its runs in the third and fourth innings. In the second semifinal game, Venezuela easily defeated Virginia, 11-1, in a six-inning game shortened by the 10-run rule. It was the first time since the series moved to Bangor that a championship round game was shortened by the rule.

Hawaii’s championship game appearance was another first since 2002, as no team had ever made consecutive appearances in the final.

The U.S. West champ came up short again, however, in its quest for a world title. Hawaii took a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the title game against Venezuela, saw Venezuela tie the score 2-2 in the fourth, and gave up two runs in the bottom of the sixth in losing 4-2.

Venezuela’s winning run scored on a single by Dennys Osteicoecha after Osteicoecha fouled off a suicide squeeze bunt.