To make yet another thrilling comeback to win was just too much
to ask. In their first game of the Little League Softball World
Series, the Gilroy All-Stars made some key comebacks, once in the
second inning and again in the sixth, before succumbing to McLean,
Va., representing the South, by a score of 12-11 in eight
innings.
“It’s another tough one,” said Gilroy manager Dennis Castro
after his team’s opening game at Portland’s Alpenrose Stadium.
Gilroy, representing the West at the Series, also lost their opener
in the Western Regional in Vancouver, Wash. last week, before going
undefeated the rest of the way
to earn a berth in Portland. The locals also won the West Region
title in comeback fashion, beating Pendleton, Ore. 10-9 in 10
innings. Unfortunately, the local girls also lost their second pool
game, dropping a narrow 2-1 decision on Friday to Bacolod,
Phillipines, the East Asia representative.
To make yet another thrilling comeback to win was just too much to ask.
In their first game of the Little League Softball World Series, the Gilroy All-Stars made some key comebacks, once in the second inning and again in the sixth, before succumbing to McLean, Va., representing the South, by a score of 12-11 in eight innings.
“It’s another tough one,” said Gilroy manager Dennis Castro after his team’s opening game at Portland’s Alpenrose Stadium.
Gilroy, representing the West at the Series, also lost their opener in the Western Regional in Vancouver, Wash. last week, before going undefeated the rest of the way to earn a berth in Portland. The locals also won the West Region title in comeback fashion, beating Pendleton, Ore. 10-9 in 10 innings.
Unfortunately, the local girls also lost their second pool game, dropping a narrow 2-1 decision on Friday to Bacolod, Phillipines, the East Asia representative.
Against McLean, Va. in its opener, Gilroy went into the sixth and final inning down 11-9, before third baseman Brenna O’Neill got the locals going with a double to right field. Following O’Neill was outfielder Elaina Vasquez (2-for-3, RBI), who sent an 0-2 pitch to center field for a single, which moved O’Neill to third. Next, starting pitcher Sam Parraz (3-for-4, RBI) belted a single to left, scoring O’Neill and bringing Gilroy to within 11-10.
After battling with McLean pitcher Jilly Falle and fouling off several pitches, outfielder Stephanie Rodriquez sent a grounder back at her. Instead of going for the play at first for the second out, Falle made a bad throw to third. Vasquez took advantage of the error and crossed the plate to tie the game at 11-11.
But in the top of the eighth inning, it was a Gilroy error that allowed McLean to score the go-ahead run. McLean’s Falle blasted a hard grounder to shortstop Allisa Castro’s right. Castro made the tough backhanded play, but overthrew the ball to first and McLean’s Katalina Khoury raced home from third to score what would prove to be the game-winner.
Dennis Castro was pleased that his team battled to the end, but was also disappointed in the five errors it committed.
“I feel like we gave them the game by making errors, bad throws and bad decisions,” he said.
But the former minor leaguer with the Florida Marlins added, “My problem is I still have the mindset of the pro level where you don’t make those errors. I’ve got to keep reminding myself that this is Little League.”
Gilroy, which appeared very calm in its first appearance on the World Series field, had to fight out of a hole in the early going. After an inning and a half of play, McLean, which finished second in the last year’s World Series, had rattled off six hits to take a 4-1 lead.
Parraz, who went all eight innings on the mound, settled down after McLean’s first two turns at the plate.
“Everything was scary,” said the pitcher of the beginning of the game.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Garlic City team’s offense brought it back, as it has many times during the All-Star season.
Marisa Gamboa, back playing with the team after missing the West Regional to visit family, ripped a shot down the first base line to score Melanie Morelos (single) to close the gap to 4-2 and ignite the Gilroy rally. Parraz then drove in O’Neill, who had reached on a fielder’s choice, to make it 4-3. Dani Hemeon made it all even at 4-4 when she swiped home plate after McLean catcher Sophie Giaquinto threw the ball into center field while trying to catch Parraz stealing second.
“This is the same team (that’s made it to the World Series). They battled to the end and never stopped trying to come back,” Dennis Castro said. “They played great, but that was our game.”
