West in Final Despite Loss to Guaynabo : Puerto Ricans Romp to 12-6 Win but West Still in Driver’s Seat

Sean Boldt, a 16-year-old right-hander on the Woodland Hills West American Legion team, is the kind of guy who, without even trying, raises the eyebrows of his teammates and coaches. Some think Boldt (pronounced bolt) might have a screw loose.

Stories abound. There’s the one where West players sat in the stands as they watched a game in the recent Northwest regional tournament in Lewiston, Ida. All alone, out in the grandstands beyond the fence in left field, sat Boldt.

Or there’s the one about Boldt in the stands at the state tournament in Yountville, Calif., two weeks ago, where one elderly fan was so taken by the outspoken and affable youngster that he gave Boldt his wristwatch. Boldt also reportedly won a few bucks playing cards against opposing players in Yountville, where he had earlier been spotted standing all alone in center field--in the middle of the night.

Boldt opened the eyes of a few more folks in Saturday night’s Legion World Series, mainly those of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, batters as West lost a rather meaningless fourth-round game, 12-6, at Millington Legion Field.

Had West defeated Guaynabo, it would have had two chances to secure the title today. Instead, West (38-7) plays for the championship today at 5 p.m. against the winner of an 11 a.m. meeting between Guaynabo and Janesville, Wis. Janesville (44-7) defeated Gonzales, La., 3-2, Saturday. All three teams are 3-1 in the double-elimination tournament. The championship game will be taped by ESPN and televised Tuesday at 10 a.m.

Whatever Boldt--who was the winning pitcher in West’s 8-7 win over Gonzales on Friday night, and thus appeared poised to become a winner and loser in a 24-hour period--was throwing looked plenty good to Guaynabo, which scored six runs on eight hits in 2 2/3 innings before Boldt was relieved by Carl McFadden.

While Boldt (4-2) gave up a few shots, his defense didn’t do him any favors, either.

“At least nothing went out today,” Boldt said. “They are all good hitters. My breaking ball was working, but if I hung it, they killed it.”

Guaynabo (40-9), which had 18 hits, scored an unearned run in the first, added three earned runs in the second, and scored two rather tainted runs in the third before Boldt was moved to center field.

In the third, David Suarez singled, and one out later, Luis Ortiz lofted a pop fly to third baseman Greg Lederman, who misjudged the ball. Despite Lederman’s last-second dive, the ball landed behind him on the infield grass for a hit as Suarez scored for a 5-1 lead. Luis Rodriguez--who was five for five--followed with a ringing triple to right-center to score Ortiz.

The West offense took much of the night off, too. West managed only two hits over the first six innings against Guaynabo right-hander Julian Velez. West scored an earned run in the second and two unearned runs in the fifth--without a hit--to move within 6-3.

In the fifth, Jeff Marks reached base on shortstop Rodriguez’s error and Gregg Sheren did likewise when third baseman Suarez booted a similar grounder. Marks eventually scored on a wild pitch and Sheren scored on Ricky Banuelos’ sacrifice fly.

West pulled to within 6-4 with another unearned run in the sixth when Del Marine reached base on Suarez’s two-base throwing error, moved to third on an infield out and scored on McFadden’s sacrifice fly to left.

McFadden, who supplied most of West’s offense with three runs batted in--two on a home run to left in the eighth--was on the receiving end of some bad defense in the sixth, when Guaynabo took a commanding five-run lead. Velez walked and scored on Joel Perez’s triple to right-center, his fourth of six hits in the game. Perez, whose six hits tied a series record set by George Robles of Guaynabo in 1984, then scored on a wild pitch.

With two out, Suarez reached base when Banuelos threw low to first for an error. Suarez moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Rodriguez’s single to left for a 9-4 lead.

COMEBACK TRAIL

Woodland Hills West’s 8-7 comeback win over Gonzales, La., on Friday ranks among the most dramatic rallies in Legion World Series history. Page 17