Our Colt team wins 1st game against Pharr, TX!!

We play powerhouse Puerto Rico tonight at 7:30pm. My son Nick #5 waiting! Puerto Rico put up 18 runs against Chech Republic yesterday, today's game is huge!!

Brian Ghiselli pitched a complete-game masterpiece, and four 15-year-olds provided the bulk of the offense Saturday night, leading the Lafayette All-Stars to a 7-3 Colt World Series opening-night victory against Pharr, Texas.

A Loeb Stadium crowd of 2,557 watched the West Lafayette right-hander pitch out of a first-inning jam before settling into a consistent rhythm of getting ahead in the count with curveballs. Ghiselli scattered eight hits, striking out eight and walking none.

"Getting ahead in the count definitely was the key to my success," Ghiselli said. "If I can get ahead in the count, I can throw that offspeed pitch for a strike and get them down in the count. Then, I can get them from there.

"Our second inning was awesome. They came out and hit well, and then I calmed down a little bit. At that point, I was ready to go, because I knew I had the guys behind me. That was a great feeling. This definitely is one of the best games I've ever pitched, especially in front of that big crowd."

At the plate, it was 15-year-olds Austin Kiracofe, Peter Ripke, Ryan DeBoy and Griff Clark combining to drive in four runs, including three in the top of the second when Lafayette took a 3-0 lead.

Shortstop Ripke led off with a single to center, and Parker Rhoads was safe on a fielder's choice. With one out, Clark drove in Ripke with a single to center. Kiracofe then followed with a two-run double to center.

Lafayette extended its lead to 5-0 in the fifth, which included a bases-loaded walk to DeBoy. Outfielder Nick Bartolone also had a run-scoring single to center.

Pharr, which scored 26 runs in the South Zone semifinals and finals, pulled within 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth, getting a sacrifice fly from Jeremiah Galindo and run-scoring singles from Brian Barbosa and Jacob Garcia.

Lafayette countered in the top of the seventh. Bartolone led off with a single to center, stole second and scored on Ripke's third hit, a long double off the right-field wall. Ripke advanced to third on a flyball and scored on a passed ball.

"It all starts in the batting cage," Ripke said. "When you see the ball, you've got to look it all the way into the catcher's mit. That makes you see the ball a lot better. I got all the nerves out after the first inning, so when I went to the plate, I felt really good and smooth."