Henderson team tops Hawaii in Little League World Series
Paseo Verde coach Adam Johnson has preached about the importance of small details to his players all season.
His team got off to a rough start Monday, but his teaching paid off in the end.
The Henderson team manufactured a run in the top of the sixth inning and held on for a 3-2 victory over Central East Maui of Wailuku, Hawaii, in its second game of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The win sends Paseo Verde (2-0) to the semifinals of the double-elimination United States bracket. The team will play Southwest Region champion Boerne (Texas) for the right to go to the U.S. title game at noon Wednesday.
“We try to do all the little things right,” Johnson said. “Some things slipped through the cracks today, but when that happened the guys picked each other up. We’ll take this win.”
Paseo Verde entered the top of the sixth inning tied 2-2 with Central East Maui. It put two runners on with two walks, then Wyatt Erickson was hit by a pitch to load the bases after fouling off three two-strike offerings. Noah Letalu then drew a two-out walk to bring home the eventual game-winning run.
“The whole inning was (well played),” Johnson said. “Wyatt was in an 0-2 hole and fouled off all those pitches. He understood what he needed to do to give us an opportunity.”
Paseo Verde came through late in the game after failing to take advantage of earlier opportunities. It left eight runners on base.
Right-hander Gunnar Gaudin kept things close by continuing Paseo Verde’s run of strong postseason pitching. He earned a complete-game victory after scattering nine hits while striking out five.
Paseo Verde’s pitching staff has allowed just three runs its last five games.
“It’s fun for me,” Gaudin said. “I think I thrive in these situations. It’s not all me. I give credit to my dad, my coaches and my team for being behind me.”
Central East Maui (2-1), the West Region champions, threatened in the bottom of the first inning. It put runners at the corners with no outs after singles by Gauge Pacheco and Evan Tavares. Gaudin escaped the jam without damage after retiring the next three batters.
Paseo Verde, the Mountain Region champions, proceeded to load the bases with one out in the second inning. It went ahead 1-0 on a single down the third-base line by Luke Lentz. The team could have taken a larger lead, but Dominic Laino was thrown out at home plate on the play.
Gaudin settled into a rhythm as the game progressed. He cruised through the third inning on seven pitches and retired the first two batters in the fourth. Tavares then reached on a two-out single and went home to tie the game on a double by Brextyn Kamaha’o Hong.
“When we were up 1-0, we felt like we were going to need more than one run anyway,” Johnson said. “Gunnar took it as a challenge, and after that I felt like he was in a groove.”
Paseo Verde took the lead again in the fifth inning with the help of two Central East Maui errors and an RBI fielder’s choice by Liam Sparks. The Hawaii team responded once more, collecting two hits in the bottom of the fifth and tying the game on a groundout by Kellen Takamura.
Gaudin appeared to be tiring, but stranded runners on the corners.
“Gunnar is one of the kids who got us here,” said Johnson, who never considered pulling his starter. “He’d earned the right to go back out there for the sixth.”
The game ended on a fluke sequence after Paseo Verde took the lead in the top of the sixth. Kamalei Leynes-Santos was caught heading to second base after hesitating on a dropped third strike, resulting in a game-ending double play.
Contact Jeff Wollard at jwollard@reviewjournal.com.