Gators fall short in Regional final

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2001 | 11:16 a.m.

They were trying to make history but had to settle for respect.

The heroics of Jake Wagner were enough to save the Green Valley Little League All-Stars from being ousted from the Little League Western Regional West Division championship game due to the 10-run mercy rule.

But Wagner's three-run homer in the sixth inning wasn't quite enough to help his team overcome an insurmountable deficit Tuesday night.

Oceanside, Calif., outslugged Green Valley 12-8 at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino, Calif., to advance to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., that starts on Friday.

"We were fighting to the very end the last couple of games," Green Valley shortstop Matt Harrison told KTNV Channel 13 after the bitter defeat. "We came back, but didn't have the breaks tonight."

Had Green Valley won, it would have been the first team from Nevada to represent the West Region in the Little League World Series. California, conversely, has sent 37 of its teams to the crown jewel of kids' baseball.

But Green Valley starting pitcher Travis Jones, who was solid until the fourth inning, made Oceanside work for this year's berth.

Jones gave up an RBI double to Tom Eukovich snapping a 2-2 tie before being relieved by Ben Morris. With Eukovich at second and Tyler Varnals at third, Johnny Jimenez banged a hard bouncer off Harrison's glove, scoring two runs to give Oceanside a 5-2 lead.

Oceanside scored seven more runs in the fifth to make it 12-2.

Facing a premature end of the game on the mercy rule, Green Valley played on as Wagner's two-run homer made it 12-4.

Green Valley second baseman/pitcher Carmon Romano retired three straight batters in the sixth inning, leaving the team with one more faint shot at history.

But the Gators' rally fell just a bit short.