June 16, 2008 — For the second year in a row, the Elmo Plaskett Little League West 10-12 All-Stars will represent St. Croix against St. Thomas for the right to represent the territory in the regional little league tournament.
After the Elmo Plaskett Little League East won Saturday to force a third game, the West-enders won the bullet game of the best-of-three series 4-3 in extra innings Sunday to advance to St. Thomas.
It was a thrilling finish to an exciting contest. With the bases loaded and the score tied at three in the bottom of the seventh inning, Dalton Benjamin delivered the game-winning RBI single to right field.
After the East failed to score in the top of the first, the West got on the board in the bottom of the inning with a couple of unearned runs to take a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the second the East scored unearned runs scored on wild pitches to knot the score at 2 all. The West retook the lead at 3-2 in the bottom of the inning on an RBI ground out by Ajani Dowdy. The score would stay that way until the top of the sixth inning, when the East, with a runner on third and two outs, tied the game at 3 on a wild pitch. The West failed to score in the bottom of the inning and the game went to extra inning knotted at 3.
The East went rather quietly in the top of the seventh inning, and the West little leaguers now had a great chance to stamp their ticket to St. Thomas. Jamari White drew a lead-off walk and advanced to third on a double by Dowdy. After a fly ball to center failed to score the runner from third, a mixup on the infield by the East little leaguers loaded the bases with one out. The stage was now set for Benjamin's game winner. He calmly ground the first pitch he saw in the hole between first and second and the celebrations were on.
Jalen Weeks got the win in relief of starter Jose Martinez, while Lakish Plante got the loss for the East. Top hitters for the west were Benjamin, 2 for 4 with an RBI; Jamari Venzen, 1 for 2; and Martinez, 1 for 2. For the East, Daren Stevens and Elijah Felix both went 1 for 3.
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