By BRETT R. CROSSLEY
WILLIAMSPORT–Despite carrying a no-hitter into the fifth inning, Latin America found itself trailing by two runs heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.
It all changed for Latin America when Esmith Pineda lifted a fastball deep over the left field fence to give Latin America a lead over the Asia-Pacific.
After the home run it was just a matter of getting through the final three outs of the game. Joaquin Tejada, who has hit a big home run himself earlier in the series, fanned two batters and forced another into a groundout to give Latin America a 3-2 win over the Asia-Pacific.
Latin America advances into the International Championship to play the winner of Mexico and Asia-Pacific who will play tomorrow.
Carols Gonzalez carried a perfect game through three innings. A walk to open the fourth broke up his bid. An error on the next play gave the Asia-Pacific its first run of the game. A second run scored on a sacrifice fly to right field.
Gonzalez opened the game in complete control, retiring the first nine batters he faced.
Of the nine, six were by way of strikeout.
Offensively, Latin America recorded the only two hits of the game through the first four innings, but two walks and a fielding error helped the Asia-Pacific take a 2-0 lead. That all changed with one swing of Pineda’s bat in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Latin America 3 Asia-Pacific 2
AP 000 200-2 1 1
LA 000 03X-3 3 2
Jaekyeong Kim, Junho Jeong (4), and Junseo Cho. Carlos Gonzalez, Edwar Bethancourth (5), Joaquin Tejada (6), and Leonardo Bernal.
WP: Bethancourth. LP: Jeong.
Top Latin America hitters: Smith Pineda 1-3, HR, run, 3 RBI.
Records: Asia-Pacific 2-1. Latin America 3-0.
