June 7, 2009 — The Elmo Plaskett East are the St. Croix 11-12 Little League champions after sweeping the West two games to none.
The clincher came on Saturday at the Renholdt Jackson Sport Complex in Estate Whim when the East scored seven runs in the first inning, then held off the West for the 8-4 victory. For the past two years the West reigned as champions, but their run came to an abrupt end at the hands of the East squad and another good pitching performance turned in by an East Little League pitcher. Chris Joseph took over on the mound for the East in the top of the second inning and kept the West in check the rest of the way.
Batting first, the West plated two unearned runs in the top of the inning to take the early lead. The East responded in a big way in the bottom of the inning, exploding for seven runs for a 7-2 lead. They never looked back. The East scored seven runs on two-run singles by Darren Stevens and Leonardo Castillo and three unearned runs.
After a scoreless second inning, the East scored their final run of the game in the bottom of the third on a West All Stars error to lead 8-2 after three completed innings. They then turned the game over to their pitching to take them home.
The score would remain unchanged until the top of the fifth inning, when the West broke through for two runs to close the gap to 8-4. But that was all they could muster against Joseph, which was not nearly enough.
Both teams would go scoreless the rest of the way, and the East Little Leaguers were crowned the St. Croix 11-12 Elmo Plaskett Little League champions.
Joseph got the win for the champs, while Stephaun Adams got the loss for the West. Top batters for the East were Stevens, 2 for 3 with two RBIs, and Evanson Matthew, 2 for 3. For the West, Isiah Velasquez and Emmanuel Martinez both went 1 for 3.
In the 9-10 contest played earlier in the day, the Elmo Plaskett West avoid a sweep by their East counterparts by winning 12-1 to force a deciding game on Sunday.
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