PONY BASEBALL: SIMI VALLEY DENIED IN TITLE GAME.

Byline: ERIK BOAL Special to the Daily News

Although Washington Park and Williamsport are separated by more than 200 miles, the return trip to Pennsylvania ended on a similar disappointing note for four members of Simi Valley's 14-year-old baseball All-Star team.

Two years removed from Conejo Valley's loss to Willemstad, Curacao, in the Little League World Series final, Simi Valley had its quest to win a PONY world championship halted Saturday by another Caribbean representative.

Caguas, Puerto Rico, scored four times in the third inning, and despite a late rally, Simi Valley's title bid was denied in a 4-2 loss in the 55th PONY final at Lew Hays Field.

James Brady, Sean McCarthy and Cody Thomson -- veterans from the Conejo Valley team that won 22 consecutive games in 2004 before losing 5-2 to Curacao in the championship -- had the only three hits for Simi Valley (17-3).

Despite being held hitless Saturday, Danny Leon -- the fourth Conejo Valley holdover -- won the Wilson batting title, hitting two home runs during the tournament.

The West Zone champion had outscored its series opponents 38-8 entering the final, but Caguas' Jovany Padilla kept Simi Valley's explosive lineup in check, retiring 13 of 14 batters during one stretch.

McCarthy's double in the top of the seventh scored Gabe Ruiz, but Thomson, who walked, was cut down at the plate trying to score from first. McCarthy later scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to two runs, but Alexander Claudio came on in relief of Padilla to strike out pinch-hitter Nick Schmidt, clinching Caguas' first title since 1987.

Brando Tessar, who struck out 18 in Tuesday's 5-1 victory over host Washington, retired six in a row before Caguas' Ronald Sanchez delivered a two-run double in the third.

Sanchez later scored on a wild pitch and Roberto Pena added a run-scoring single for Caguas, which had recorded come-from-behind victories in its three previous games.

Simi Valley was looking to become the first area team since Santa Susana in 1983 to capture a PONY title. Lakewood (2003) was the last California team to win a championship.

Caguas' title was the first by a Puerto Rico team since 2001 and sixth overall.

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