The Boys of Dhahran Fought Hard in Semi-Finals
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Author: Aramco ExPats
Released 25 August 2006
As Aramco Brats, the Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Little League all-stars and their families came to the states for repat, making it the seventh consecutive trip to Williamsport and the 18th since 1983.
The team has been on the road since Mid-July, beginning at the Transatlantic Division's regional tournament in Poland; traveling to Allentown, Pa., to practice for a couple of weeks before heading to Williamsport.
Pitcher, Matt Timoney
The Arabian American Little League consisted of only 30 players and their region, Transatlantic division, includes teams from Austria, Belgium, England, Germany, Italy, Spain and Greece. The Arabian American Little League dominates their division. "They're just always out there working in the heat all day," said John Holden, whose son Michael is the team's center fielder. "I don't know what the coaches would say, but I think it could just be harder work."
After win-loss record of 2 - 1 in the first three games, Dhahran advanced to the International Semifinals against Japan. Japan was a strong favorite; however, they found the Arabian American Little League team to be tough.
Pitcher, Ryoya Sato drove in two runs in the fourth with a single before homering to straightaway center for a couple of insurance runs.
Andrew Holden
The win for Japan wasn’t easy by any means. Saudi starter Matt Timoney baffled the opposition for the first three innings, holding them scoreless while allowing a pair of hits and striking out six.
With Japan leading 2-0 in the fifth, Sato walked Centerfielder Michael Knight and then hit Nate Barnett to put runners at first and second with two out. Timoney doubled to the left-centerfield gap to score Knight. Saudi Arabia left the tying and go-ahead runs on the bases, however, when Andrew Holden struck out swinging.
The Saudi Arabia All-Stars came within inches of taking a 2-0 lead themselves in the bottom of the third. Catcher Nate Barnett hit a liner off Sato to straightaway centerfield with two outs and George Luo on first. The ball hit the wall on the fly, coming within inches of going over. Luo tried to score all the way from first, but was thrown out at the plate by centerfielder Seigo Yada.
The defensive play of the day came with one out in the top of the fifth, when Yada belted a towering fly ball to center off Timoney. Centerfielder Michael Knight backtracked to the wall and reached over to rob Yada of a home run and a 3-0 Japan lead.
For Dhahran, a team that did not win a game in last year's Little League World Series, reaching the semifinals and playing what manager James Durley said may have been their finest game in the tournament made for an optimistic finale to their season.
"We hung in there with Asia," Durley said. "I know nobody gave us a chance, but 13 people in our dugout believed."
Perhaps nobody more so than pitcher Matt Timoney, who became the first pitcher at the series to somewhat subdue Japan's offense. He allowed just two earned runs, a pair of errors accounted for Japan's two fourth inning runs.
"I want to tell you guys that I have 11 guys with the biggest hearts I've ever seen," James Durley said. "I've been so proud of our guys from day one."