The Virgin Islands Major Little League team defeated Curacao in the semifinal game on Thursday in the 2014 Latin American Regional Major Little League tournament in Freeport, in the Bahamas.
The Virgin Islanders will face off against Puerto Rico at 4 p.m. Friday for the regional championship and the chance to play in the Little League World Series.
In Thursday’s game, Alexander McFarlane hit a two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the first inning to give the V.I. an early 2-0 lead. Najer Victor led the V.I., holding Curacao scoreless for the first three innings of the game.
Curacao was able to score one run in the top of the fourth inning to pull within a run, but the V.I. answered with a sacrifice fly to centerfield off the bat of Moises Venezuela, which scored McFarlane and made the score 3-1.
V.I. starting pitcher Victor reached his pitch limit in the fifth inning and Rasmussen Tomsjansen of Curacao hit a two-run homer off V.I. relief pitcher Lester Slack Jr. to tie the game at three. Karon Shelford hit a two-out line drive home run to center to give the V.I. another one-run lead, 4-3, but that quickly disappeared as Curacao scored three unearned runs on errors in the top of the sixth inning, making the score 6-4.
Julio Illedge led off the bottom of the sixth inning for the V.I. by getting hit by the pitch. The next batter, Dwanye Maduro, walked and then Triston Moore hit an RBI single up the middle to score Illedge and get the V.I. to within one run, 6-5.
Jahsief Benjamin followed Moore with another RBI single into left field, with Moore and Benjamin advancing to third and second base respectively thanks to a Curacao passed ball.
MeKoi Malone then hit a one-out ground ball up the middle. The Curacao shortstop fielded it but made an errant throw to home plate, allowing Moore to score the V.I.’s winning run.
The V.I. had six hits in the game and committed three errors, while Curacao had seven hits and committed no errors. Slack picked up the victory for the V.I.
Alexander McFarlane led the V.I. team with two hit in three at bats. Curacao hits were scattered.
The V. I. is scheduled play Puerto Rico at 4 p.m. Friday in the championship game. The winner of the Caribbean Regional tournament advances to Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.