Nederland (Texas) scored an unearned run in the top of the seventh and held on to defeat Punahou, 3-2, yesterday in the Babe Ruth World Series for ages 13-15 at Andalusia, Ala.

Marcus Yoshii, 13, pitched well in defeat. He shut out Nederland for the first five innings before giving up two runs in the top of the sixth.

Punahou, meanwhile, had its chances. It loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the second but could not score. It had a runner at second with one out in the fifth and two runners on with one out in the sixth, and had the tying run at second in the seventh but failed to capitalize on each occasion.

Punahou plays Kelso, Wash., today in pool play competition. Punahou is in the American Division, which includes teams from Texas, Washington, Maine and Alabama. The National Division has teams from New York, Kentucky, Florida, Minnesota and Alabama.

The top three teams in each division advance to the single-elimination playoff round.

PEARL CITY OUSTED IN AMERICAN LEGION, 20-13

Tucson, Ariz., rallied for five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning en route to a 20-13 victory, eliminating Pearl City in the American Legion Baseball Western Regional yesterday at Kearns, Utah.

Pearl City, the Hawai'i American Legion champ, finished 1-2. Tucson is 2-1.

Pearl City took a 10-9 lead into the fifth, when Tucson scored its five runs. Tucson added five more runs in the seventh inning.

Herbert Chung and Travis Jones each had three hits for Pearl City. Chung hit a two-run homer and Jones had a two-run double in the first inning. Derek Grace hit a solo homer in the sixth inning.