Maui Leads 3-0, Hickory Up 2-1 Over Seattle

The Maui Mashers are now only one win away from advancing to the Cecil Cup series with it's 4-2 victory over the Amigos.

The Mashers took a quick lead in the first with a solo home run by Octavio Cabrales.  The Amigos responded with two in the third on singles by Rufus Murray and Santiago Salazar.

That's the way it stood until the eighth inning, when Maui put three more on the board on solo round trippers by Ricardo Sanchez and Bruce Parker and a single by Barney Maxon, bringing the game to 4-2, its final score, giving the victory to starter Ferdinand Pineda.

Over in Hickory, it was all Huskers over the Monarchs in a 6-3 victory.  Hickory started right away in the first off of starter Nicholas Vargas when George LaBarre reached first on a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch, went to third on a ground out and then scored on Christopher Moss's single.  A second run was added the next inning on a Christopher Pais solo blast.

Seattle managed to tie the game in the bottom of the second when Nicholas Vargas reached first on a failed sacrifice bunt.  He went to second on a walk to Richard Bender and then scored on a Gregorio Reyna single. Bender himself came home on a Bruce Frison ground out.

However, Seattle's lead evaporated as quickly as a break in the rain clouds over the city.  George LaBarre, the first hitter of Hickory's half of the third inning reached on a first-pitch single to left-center.  The next batter, Tyler Thomas, launched a 1-2 pitch to center field for a two run homer.  Three batters later, Paul Shunk hit his second home run of the series, a two run shot, to make the score 6-2.

Seattle never made it back from that deficit.  John Hukill did manage to put another run on the board for the Monarchs with a solo home run in the sixth, but otherwise, Seattle never seriously threatened.  Hickory starter  Donald Hunnicutt pitched eight innings for the victory.

Game 4:  Monday night