Sunday, August 17, 2003
Updated: August 21, 3:47 AM ET
Broad strikes out nine in semifinal victory
Associated Press
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Michael Broad's fastball was
scaring his catcher. The other team's hitters barely had a chance.
Broad threw a one-hitter and Richie DeJesus was 3-for-3 and
drove in two runs as Boynton Beach, Fla., beat Chandler, Ariz., 4-1
Wednesday night in the first U.S. semifinal at the Little League
World Series.
Boynton Beach (3-1) advances to Saturday night's U.S. title game
against the winner of Thursday night's semifinal between Saugus,
Mass., and Richmond, Texas.
Going into the sixth inning, catcher Devon Travis couldn't
persuade Broad to lay off the heat.
"In the last inning he came up to me and said, 'I'm going to
bring it,''' Travis said. "I said, 'Why not try for your corners?'
But he said, 'No, I'm going to bring it.'''
In an international semifinal, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles
beat Altagracia, Venezuela, 10-0 Wednesday. This is the third
consecutive year a Curacao team has reached the international
championship game and it will play the winner of Thursday's game
between Tokyo and Mexico City on Saturday.
The world championship game is Sunday.
DeJesus -- who was 0-for-3 in his last game -- drove in the
go-ahead run with an RBI double in the fourth, then scored on R.J.
Neal's RBI single. An RBI single by DeJesus in the fifth made it
4-1.
DeJesus said he kept getting "balls right down the middle. They
were really good pitches. I liked them.''
Broad (2-0) struck out nine and didn't walk a batter. Justin
Rosales (1-1) took the loss.
"He just threw gas, and we couldn't catch up to him,'' Chandler
manager Eddie Malone said. "We couldn't make any adjustments to
the pitch.''
Tim Fowler of Chandler (3-1) had an RBI double in the first that
tied the game 1-1.
Travis hit a leadoff triple for Boynton Beach in the first and
scored on Jordan Irene's sacrifice fly.
Netherlands Antilles 10, Venezuela 0
Tharick Martines struck out 14 in a one-hitter, but he says he
can do better.
"My fastball was my best pitch today, but this was not the best
I've pitched,'' Martines said.
Martines also hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning to make
it 7-0.
"We talked after yesterday's game about who was hitting and who
was not hitting,'' said Curacao coach Michelangelo Celestina. "We
came here today more focused at the plate.''
Martines (1-1) allowed an infield single in the fifth. Edixon
Martinez (0-1) took the loss.
"His fastball and curve were breaking really well, and that's
why we couldn't hit him,'' Venezuela manager Alfonso Avendano said
of Martines. "I saw Martines in the regional tournament and here,
and I felt this was the best he pitched.''
