Little League team of South Valley players to face Italy at 2
p.m. today
KIRKLAND, Wash. — Representing the West at the 2010 Little League World Series, the Gilroy Junior All-Stars were quick to make a statement and prove they belong among the elite teams in the world.
Surviving a blistering 98-degree afternoon, the team now going by the nickname, Garlic Girls, slipped past Central 5-0 in the opening game of Pool B play Sunday in Kirkland, Wash.
Paced by a complete-game, six-strikeout performance in the circle by Holly Lam and balanced by timely offensive production, Gilroy gained the all-important win No. 1.
A pitchers’ duel through the first two innings, Gilroy broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third. Nicole Green singled in Kristen Dennis, who led off the frame with a double, to take a 1-0 lead.
Slowly but surely the girls padded the slim advantage, tacking on one run in the fifth on a Mariza Rodriguez RBI-fielder’s choice that plated Mackenzie Mitchell of Morgan Hill.
Needing to put some space between themselves and Central, the girls scored three times in the sixth. Lam led off the frame with a single and advanced all the way to third on a Dejah Raoof base hit. Raoof stole second to give Dennis an opportunity to drive in a pair of runs. And that’s just what she did, poking a two-RBI triple into right field. Mitchell followed suit and delivered an RBI single for the 5-0 lead.
The girls play Game 2 against the Europe/Middle East/Africa representative, Italy at 2 p.m. today.
Pool A: Southeast (U.S.), Canada, Host (Wash.), Latin America, Southwest (U.S.)
Pool B: West (Gilroy), Central (U.S.), East (U.S.), EMEA (Italy), Asia Pacific (Guam)
