Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008 | 10:10 p.m.
Run Falls Short
The Paseo Verde Little League team's bid for the state's first-ever World Series berth falls short. Watch players and coaches react to the heart-breaking loss.
So close, yet so far away.
Henderson-based Paseo Verde Little League was defeated 4-3 by Hawaii’s Waipio Little League Sunday night in the finals of the Western Regionals in San Bernardino, Calif., one win shy of becoming the first Nevada team to reach Williamsport, Pa., and the Little League World Series.
Paseo Verde’s Michael Blasko struck out 14 batters, but yielded a pair of home runs to Pikai Winchester, including a game-winning solo shot in the fourth inning.
Paseo Verde joins Green Valley Little League clubs of 2001 and 2003 who lost the finals. A Nevada representative has participated in the regional since 1957, but still hasn’t had a team reach Williamsport and youth baseball‘s biggest stage.
“Losing like that is tough,” Paseo Verde manager Jim Kelly said. “We were one run away from Williamsport.”
Paseo Verde played catch-up all night as it fell behind 3-0 in the first inning. Winchester had the big hit for Hawaii as he connected on an opposite field two-run home run.
After leaving the bases loaded in the second inning, Paseo Verde tied the game in the third on a two-run home run from James Anderson and solo shot from Griffin Kelly off Hawaii reliever Tanner Tokunaga.
But Tokunaga settled down to allow one base runner the rest of the game and Winchester’s second home was the difference. It was first loss in 17 summer games for Paseo Verde, a group of children ages 11 to 13 who outscored regional opponents 46-18 entering the final.
Blasko, who struck out 15 of 16 batters he faced in a 4-1 victory against Hawaii in pool play, couldn’t duplicate the success. He also hit three home runs in a pool play victory against Utah, but grounded into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded in the second in the finals and struck out to end the game.
“(Michael) was dominant again. I don’t think they had his number,” Kelly said.
The game, played in front of more than 10,000 fans at Al Houghton Stadium, was televised on ESPN2. Even in defeat, it was a memorable way to end the summer.
“It was one of our dreams to get here and we made it,” Blasko said.
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