BY MYLES SCHRAG
Enquirer contributor
The Midland Redskins celebrate their latest Connie Mack World Series title.
(AP photo)
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FARMINGTON, N.M. -- Tournament MVP Nate Smith threw a four-hitter and struck out 14 batters at the Connie Mack World Series Thursday night, lifting the Midland Redskins past the Dallas Mustangs 9-4 for their second straight CMWS title.
"Nate Smith is contagious," said Midland manager Joe Hayden, whose team has won eight CMWS championships and six in the past 10 years. "They don't think they can lose when he's on the mound. He's a very low-key, modest young man. If you look at him in street clothes, you'd say, "He's a what?' But he gets in a uniform and he's a tiger."
Midland (66-4) never trailed in the final against Dallas, the team which handed the Redskins their only tournament loss the previous night. All-tournament first baseman Shelley Duncan hit a three-run homer in the first inning.
"That was the hard part, they got three runs early," Dallas manager Sam Carpenter said.
The win was Smith's second complete game of the CMWS. He threw a two-hitter in a five-inning victory over the Humacao, Puerto Rico, Raiders. In his two outings, he allowed just six hits and five earned runs in 12 innings for a 2.92 ERA, with 23 strikeouts.
Midland's pitching (2.71 tournament ERA) and defense (five errors) complemented an offense that averaged 8.4 runs per game and hit .392 while going 4-1.
Smith allowed a two-run homer in the sixth inning to Jason Gremminger. Dallas' other two runs came on two hits, a walk and a passed ball in the third inning.
"I just had to get back to work," said the right-hander from Maineville, Ohio, who will pitch for Ohio State next year. "I can't let that (home run) bother me. I kept getting ahead of hitters, spotting balls, throwing strikes."
Ryan Theriot had RBI singles in the fourth and sixth innings to add to the balanced Midland attack, which had 13 hits from eight players and nine RBI from six players in the title game.
"I just had this inner feeling that this team could win," Hayden said. "They played so well as a cohesive unit. They truly are interested in one another."
Duncan earned the Big Stick award for the tournament with a 1.063 slugging percentage, a .500 batting average, three homers and five RBI. Joining him and Smith on the all-tourney team was center fielder Nathan Palmer, who batted .400.
"It's kind of sad to see this come to an end," Smith said. "On the other hand, you couldn't ask for a better ending."
