Down but not out
S.I. Little Leaguers lose to Hawaii, face Ga. next
The anguished expression on 12-year-old pitcher Chris Bedford's face was an omen of things to come.
The scrappy Staten Island Mid-Island Little Leaguers, who swept the city by storm with their disciplined play on the diamond, lost 10-0 to Hawaii. They now play Georgia, with the winner facing Hawaii in the U.S. title game.
Staten Island found itself in an early 7-0 hole it couldn't dig its way out of before the second inning was even over.
While hundreds of local fans trekked to South Williamsport, Pa., to witness firsthand the future Aaron Judges and Jacob DeGroms of tomorrow, self-proclaimed superfan Arina Zizersky watched nervously from her home.
“This Staten Island team never gives up,” she said during the early part of the game. Her family is good friends with the parents of Derek Mendez, who plays third base and pitches for the squad.
While her son isn't on the team, she says the team is a strong representation of playing the game with class. She admitted that her whole family was “dying inside” hoping they could rally for an incredible comeback.
The Staten Islanders defeated Iowa 5-2 last Thursday before squeaking past a Houston-based squad 2-1 to secure a berth in the U.S. championship game. The winner advances to play the winner of the international bracket.
With two out in the first, a throwing error allowed Hawaii's first run to score. Two batters later, the Western squad scored its second run when Bedford plunked a batter.
One inning later, the lead ballooned to 6-0 when Sean Yamaguchi unloaded a grand slam to left-center that just cleared the fence.
Hawaii's starting pitcher Aukai Kea kept the local boys off the scoreboard with a strong fastball as the deficit swelled to 9-0.
As strong as Staten Island was this season, the Hawaiian team was just a little better and has allowed only three runs in first four games.
The Little League championship game is set for Sunday at 3 p.m.