By Tim Watanabe and
Matt Phelps
Reporter Newspapers
Although the Redmond/Eastlake All-Stars softball team wrapped up their Junior Softball World Series (JSWS) with a shortened 7-3 loss during a rematch to the Southwest team from La Grange, Tex., last Saturday to finish in eighth place, the opportunity to play the sport they love with girls from around the globe represented the opportunity of a lifetime.
The local District 9 champs got to play against teams from Latin America, Canada, Florida and Texas during their run in the World Series, which was highlighted by an unforgettable 11-10 comeback win against Canada on Monday, Aug. 17.
“I’m incredibly proud,” said host team head coach Mark Gransee. “We said at the beginning of the season that we’re going to judge (our success) on two things – did we have fun, and are they better softball players. Clearly, we were successful with that.”
That resilience was shown in both of the host team’s games against Southwest. On Wednesday, Redmond/Eastlake rallied from a 10-4 deficit, posting four more scores before being outlasted 12-8, and during Saturday’s consolation final, began a rally in the top of the sixth inning with one run scored, and runners on second and third with nobody out when the game was called due to time constraints.
“We never quit in any game, and they held their head high,” Gransee said.
Lasting memories
The JSWS was truly a “world” series, consisting of teams that traveled from as far away as the Philippines and Italy to test their skills against the best at Kirkland’s Everest Park. The team from Latin America, ASOFEM Little League of Manuabo, Puerto Rico, ended up as champions for the second time in three years with a nail-biting 2-1 victory over a Central squad from Elyria, Ohio. The game was televised live on ESPN Classic and will be re-aired on ESPN2 Sept. 11.
The tournament brought close to 7,000 people to Kirkland, with around 2,000 going through the turnstiles on Sunday.
The loss during the championship game came as a surprise as the Central team was the only squad to finish pool play 4-0.
The Southwest team went 3-1 in pool play, but lost out on making the semi-finals because of tie-breaker rules. The Southwest team earned the only victory against Latin America, 2-1, during pool play on Aug. 17.
One of the best comebacks of the tournament came from the West team, Snow Canyon Little League from Santa Clara, Utah. The team ended pool play at 1-3, but won two-straight, including a tight 3-2 victory against the East team, Nanticoke/Newport Little League from Nanticoke, Pa. to finish fifth.
Gransee’s team, as the tournament host, had special duties and the pride of a community on the line, which they responded to with flying colors.
“They were great hosts, did a great job welcoming the other teams, and showed a lot of character in what was a great all-star season for us,” he said.
Melissa White, who pitched in all of Redmond/Eastlake’s games during the Series, enjoyed the international flavor of the event.
“It was really fun,” she said, citing her team’s 10-run comeback against Canada as her favorite memory. “It was a good experience, seeing all the different people from all over the world.”
For Gransee, participating in the Series meant enjoying the culmination of a summer of hard work on the softball diamond.
“Every game, I just love being with them and watching them become better softball players,” he said of his team. “That’s probably my best memory, just watching how they’ve improved over the last two months.”
Junior Softball World Series
Championship game
Latin America 2, Central 1
3rd and 4th
place game
Southeast 7,
Asia Pacific 3
5th and 6th
place game
West 3, East 2
7th and 8th
place game
Southwest 7, Host 3
9th and 10th
place game
EMEA (Italy) 8, Canada 0
