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August 18, 2007

U.S. South champ lost first two games of series and needed tiebreaker to advance

Chris Huth pitched a complete game one-hitter and Cole Montgomery hit a three-run home run to lead Cartersville, Ga., to a dominating 9-0 victory over defending World Series champion Falcon, Venezuela, at Mansfield Stadium.

Huth threw 89 pitches in holding down the most prolific hitting team in the series. Venezuela had 62 hits entering the game, 15 more than Texas East and Hawaii, who had 47 for the series. The only hit Huth surrendered was a single to short left-center by Angel Rodolfo Zea with one out in the third inning. Most of Huth’s outs were to the left side of the diamond.

The Venezuela lineup couldn’t get anything started against the U.S. South champs, who had lost their first two games of the series and won a three-way tiebreaker to advance to the semifinals. Huth retired the lead-off batter five times and walked the other two. He walked three batters in the whole game and never allowed more than one base runner in an inning.

At the plate, Georgia pounded 13 hits, with third baseman Cole Payne leading the way with a 2-for-5 performance that included a double and two runs batted in. Second baseman Garison Boston was 2-for-4 from the lead-off spot in the order, with one RBI. He hit a triple to center field in Georgia’s three-run sixth inning.

Montgomery had the biggest hit of the day, though. Taking advantage of an unusually strong wind that swirled out to center field and right field for the entire game, Montgomery, batting eighth, lofted a 3-2 pitch into the breeze to right field in the top of the fourth inning. Aided by the wind, the ball carried over the scoreboard, igniting a roar from the local crowd. The hit, off Jose Alvarado, also scored Brad Green and Tyler Linn and made it 4-0. Green had led off the inning with a wind-aided double to center, and Linn had followed with a walk.

The wind wreaked havoc on fly balls and pop-ups, causing fielders to lunge at the last second to make catches or causing them to freeze in their steps altogether so they didn’t commit themselves to moving in the wrong direction.

Although Venezuela starting pitcher Alvarado retired the first three batters of the game, the nature of the outs didn’t bode well. Boston hit the second pitch of the game hard off the ground and straight back to Alvarado. Payne then hit the second pitch he saw on a line about waist high straight back to the 5-foot-10, 130-pound left-hander. Alvarado caught the drive for the second out. Ben Bridges followed by hitting his first pitch hard to first baseman Johan Luque, who fielded it and tagged first for the easy out.

Alvarado lasted on the mound until Montgomery’s homer in the fourth. He threw 53 pitches in three innings, giving up five hits, which included two doubles and the home run. He walked three batters.

The game was televised live nationally on ESPNU. It will be rebroadcast at 2 p.m., Aug. 30 on ESPN2.

Box score

ESPN highlights

What to bring

Don’t let Maine’s northern location fool you: summer temperatures can reach the mid-80s and even 90s, with high humidity. Evening temperatures can be anywhere from the 60s to low-70s. Bring shorts, pants, a light jacket, and sun screen. Depending on your tolerance level, you may need insect repellant for evening games.