Surviving a blistering 98-degree afternoon, the team now going
by the self-appointed moniker, the Garlic Girls, slipped past
Central 5-0 in the opening game of Pool B play Sunday in Kirkland,
Wash.
KIRKLAND, Wash. – Representing the West at the 2010 Little League World Series, the Gilroy Junior All-Stars were quick to make a statement and prove they belong among the elite teams in the world.
Surviving a blistering 98-degree afternoon, the team now going by the self-appointed moniker, the Garlic Girls, slipped past Central 5-0 in the opening game of Pool B play Sunday in Kirkland, Wash.
Paced by a complete-game, six-strikeout performance in the circle by Holly Lam, and balanced by timely offensive production, Gilroy gained the all-important win No. 1.
A pitcher’s duel through the first two innings, Gilroy broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third. Nicole Green singled in Kristen Dennis, who led off the frame with a double, to take a 1-0 lead.
Slowly but surely the girls padded the slim advantage, tacking on one run in the fifth on a Mariza Rodriguez RBI-fielder’s choice that plated Mackenzie Mitchell.
Needing to put some space between themselves and Central, the girls scored three times in the sixth. Lam led off the frame with a single and advanced all the way to third on a Dejah Raoof base hit. Raoof stole second to give Dennis an opportunity to drive in a pair of runs. And that’s just what she did, poking a two-RBI triple into right field. Mitchell followed suit and delivered an RBI-single for the 5-0 lead.
The girls play Game 2 against the Europe/Middle East/Africa representative, Italy at 2 p.m. today.
Pool A: Southeast (U.S.), Canada, Host (WA), Latin America, Southwest (U.S.)
Pool B: West (Gilroy), Central (U.S.), East (U.S.), EMEA (Italy), Asia Pacific (Guam)
Check back for results of Game 2.
