By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
Aug. 5, 2002
Taylor Janak tossed a four-hit shutout to lead Tri-County (Texas) to a 3-0 win over Bentonville, Ark., in the 14-year-old Babe Ruth Southwest Regional Sunday afternoon at Scaggs Field at Meridian Community College.
Tri-County advanced to a Monday night showdown in the undefeated bracket with Meridian, a 5-0 victor over Jefferson Parish on Sunday.
Bentonville returned to action later Sunday against El Dorado, Ark., in an elimination game.
Janak scattered four singles, never allowing more than one in any inning. He struck out five and walked only one.
Bentonville threatened in the top of the first with runners at second and third with one out. Janak came back to strike out the next two batters to silence the threat.
It was an omen of things to come.
Six of Bentonville's outs came on infield pop ups.
Tri-County took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Tyler Supak walked, took second on a wild pitch, and scored on a fly ball single in shallow left field by Chris Andreas.
The Texans doubled their advantage in the bottom of the third as Andreas walked, stole second, and scored on another fly ball single to shallow left field by Justin Barnes.
Bentonville squandered a scoring opportunity in the top of the fifth as Pierre Poquette led off with a single and went all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jamie Harrington. Caleb Smith was unable to connect on a high pitch on a suicide squeeze, leaving Poquette hung out in a rundown for the second out of the inning.
Tri-County picked up an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a pair of Bentonville errors along with a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Pekar.
Smith tossed a three-hitter for Bentonville, allowing three singles. He struck out two and walked five. Two of the batters who received walks scored with the third run coming after reaching on an error.
Tri-County got a single apiece from Andreas, Barnes, and John Wooten.
Bentonville got a single apiece from Seth Walters, Ryan Lee, Nick Payne, and Poquette.