August 3, 2001 – Rain continued Thursday at the second annual Junior Little League Latin American Regional Championship in Freeport, Grand Bahama, but it let up long enough for the Virgin Islands to be crushed by Curacao, 12-2, and eliminated from the tournament.
Curacao scored first with one run in the top of the first inning, but the Virgin Islands answered with two in the bottom of the inning, to take the lead.
But then it began to rain runs on the Virgin Islands. Curacao regained the lead with three in the top of the second. The Virgin Islands relieved starting pitcher Khamari Leonard with Kemo Simeon, who stopped the Curacao rally for that inning, but it started it all over again in the next one. The Virgin Islands again changed pitchers, bringing out Tehron Christian. Tehron stopped the Curacao bats for only an inning before Curacao continued to add to its lead.
In the playoffs, Mexico will face Curacao Thursday afternoon, and Panama will play Venezuela in a single-elimination semifinal game on Friday. The winners will advance to the championship game on Saturday. That winner will move on to the Junior Little League World Series in Taylor, Mich.
