By Steve Parris From St Thomas Source

The Virgin Islands Major Little League team defeated Cayman Islands, 16-1, on Saturday, and then beat Puerto Rico, 7-0, on Sunday in their first two round robin games in Pool A play of the 2014 Latin American Regional Major Little League tournament in Freeport, Bahamas.

Alexander McFarlane belted two homeruns to lead the V.I. team to victory over Cayman Islands on Saturday. McFarlane hit a solo homerun in the first inning and then a two-run homerun in the fourth.

V.I. scored five runs in the first inning, with McFarlane’s and Mekoi Malone’s homeruns. The V.I. team was held scoreless in the second at bat but scored eight runs in the top of the third inning, starting off with a three-run homer from K’Noy Henley.

The V.I. scored three more runs in the fourth to cap the scoring after giving up an unearned run in the bottom of the third.

The team used three pitchers in the game, Bryan Feliz, Henley and Dwayne Maduro. Henley picked up the victory for the team.

The V.I. team followed its Saturday triumph with a victory of Sunday over Puerto Rico.

Maduro hit a line drive up the middle in the third inning that drove Henley in the game’s first run. McFarlane hit a solo homerun in the fourth inning. The V.I. added two more runs in the fourth inning, three more in the bottom of the fifth.

The rains came down that shorten the game before the inning was completed.

McFarlane struck out nine Puerto Rican batters in five innings to earn the win.

The V. I. team was scheduled to play Grand Bahama on Monday afternoon, and then they close out pool play with a 1:30 p.m. game on Wednesday.

There are two pools in the tournament, the winner of each pool advances to the semifinals along with the second place teams. The semifinals are scheduled for Friday.

IMAGES:

The V.I. team comes out of dugout to celebrate as Mekoi Malone trots home after hitting a two-run homerun in the first inning.

Julio Illedge at bat.

For more on this story go to: http://stthomassource.com/content/news/local-sports/2014/07/22/vi-little-league-team-defeats-cayman-islands-and-puerto-rico-ba