The error bug hit the Gold Coast Senior (16-under) softball team in the final game of pool play on Thursday, but the Big Island girls still managed to put up a fight against Southeast Division champion Florida before falling 6-5 in extra innings.
Despite the loss, Hawaii still managed to earn the No. 1 seed out of Pool B, after a win by Central Division champion Indiana forced a three-way tie on top of the pool. With 3-1 records, Gold Coast won the tie-breaker based on runs against and will play the No. 4 seed out of Pool A — East Division champion Massachusetts — today at 2 p.m.
“To be honest, making the single elimination part of the tournament is all that matters,” said Gold Coast head coach Jerry Hiraishi about the tie-breaker. “Everyone starts fresh with a 0-0 record now.”
Hawaii, the Western Division champions, jumped out to an early 5-0 lead by the top of the second inning, but two errors in the bottom of the frame led to three Florida runs, cutting the deficit to two.
After adding a run off an error in the bottom of the third, Florida tied the game in the sixth inning when Jaileene Gonzalez doubled in a run with two outs.
The game remained tied heading into the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Florida’s Madison Isley singled to center and moved to second on a groundout. Isley then scored the winning run in walk-off fashion off a single to left.
“It is better to have these mistakes in the round robin part of the tournament,” Hiraishi said. “Now is the time to play solid softball.”
Hawaii opened the scoring in the top of the first with a three-run home run by Shaylann Marie Grace, her second home run in as many games. Leiloa-Valerie Bustamante made it back-to-back with a solo shot to put Gold Coast up by four.
“It just comes naturally for her,” Hiraishi said of Grace’s power. “She doesn’t go for home runs. She hits the ball solid and sometimes it just goes over.”
The final run for Hawaii came in the top of the second when Natasha Molina singled and scored off a double by Dioni Lincoln.
Tehani Espenesa started the game for Gold Coast inside the circle. She threw four innings, allowing one earned and three unearned runs off five hits. She struck out four and walked one.
Grace took the loss, allowing two earned off five hits in 3 2/3 innings of work. She struck out three.
“We had good pitching, errors just cost us,” Hiraishi said. “They key is not to walk batters and they do a good job of that.”
Jamie Jarvis started for Florida, going five innings, allowing four earned off four hits. She struck out four and walked three.
Dee Bent picked up the victory. She allowed two hits in three innings of work, striking out two.
Gonzalez led the offense for Southeast, going 3-for-4 with a double. Audrey Mills was 2-for-4 with a double.
Grace led the Gold Coast offense with two hits and three RBIs. Lincoln also had two hits.
The players of Gold Coast have now been on the mainland more than two weeks since they traveled to the regionals in Montana on July 17. They went straight from Montana to the Little League World Series in Delaware.
“It is something different for them and they are having fun. We just try to keep them occupied,” Hiraishi said. “We would like to thank all of our supporters on the Big Island who donated money to help us get here. The girls really appreciate it.”
