Washington County, Johnstown and Monterrey, MX won Saturday games at the DICK’S Sporting Goods PONY League World Series. All three advance to winners’ bracket games.
LJ Zidek led a 15-hit attack that awakened after Washington County squandered multiple early opportunities. Zidek went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run, a triple and three RBI. MJ Maruschak and Nico Patragas stroked back-to-back RBI doubles to put the Hosts in front to stay. Both had two doubles on the day. Trailing 6-0 and held to just one hit through five innings, London plated three runs only to see Washington County answer with three of its own. Zach Schrader got the win, throwing four shutout innings, striking out seven. Washington County will take on Palmview, TX in Sunday’s first game, set for 12 noon. London plays San Jose, CA in a Sunday afternoon (5 pm) elimination game.
Earlier Saturday, Monterrey returned to Lew Hays PONY Field for the first time since winning the 1972 championship. The Mexico champions allowed a run in the San Jose first, then scored the next six markers to control the game. Four different players drove in runs for Monterrey to make Miguel Hernandez a winner. The starter allowed one run and four hits, all singles over 4.2 innings of work San Jose settled for one run in the first despite having runners at 2nd & 3rd with just one out. In the seventh, Tommy Moran doubled with two on and one out to give the West Zone champions a chance. But the third-baseman lost track of runners in front of him and was retired between 2nd & 3rd for the second out. Monterrey had nine hits, all singles, to move to a Monday night winners’ bracket game against the Washington County/Palmview winner.
Host Area champion allowed leads of 7-1 and 12-7 slip away only to get a walk-off single from the 9-hitter, downing Hagerstown, 13-10, in eight innings. Brock Bryson and Drew Irons combined to hold Hagerstown to one run and two hits over the first five innings. The East Zone champions plated six runs, four of them after two out in the sixth to shake Johnstown, tying the game. Bryson keyed a five-run bottom of the frame with a two-run home run. Hagerstown pulled even, taking advantage of three hits, four walks and an errant throw to the plate to score five times, sending the game to extra innings. After Hagerstown stranded the bases loaded, Irons singled to open the Johnstown eighth and stole second. After a hit batter and a strikeout, Grady Clark delivered a soft-serve single to right to score the game-winner. Clark started but was replaced for four innings before returning to deliver the hit and the win. Eric McAllister, the sixth Johnstown pitcher got the win, working a scoreless eighth inning. Shawn Higgins allowed only one of Johnstown’s runs but took the loss. Johnstown plays New Taipei City Monday night (5:30 pm) in the winners’ bracket. Hagerstown’s next game is a Monday morning game (10:00 am) against the Bay County, MI / Guaynabo, PR winner.
The 70th PONY League World Series continues with three games Sunday. Washington County takes on Palmview, TX at 12 noon followed by the first two elimination games in the 10-team tournament: Bay County, MI vs. Guaynabo, PR at 2:30 pm, San Jose, CA vs. London, England at 5:00 pm. All the action of the DICK’S Sporting Goods PONY League World Series will be heard live on WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here.
World Series website link: Click Here