Bay Area team sees Little League World Series dream come to an end

The Almaden Lightning’s dream season came to an end on Tuesday in the Little League Softball World Series.

Almaden was eliminated from the tournament after a 4-0 loss to an Ohio team. They were defeated 11-0 by the defending Texas champions in their first game on Sunday.

The Lightning had just two hits in two games against some tough pitchers at Greenville, North Carolina’s Stallings Stadium.

“We had one of the toughest schedules,” said head coach John Drake over the phone Tuesday. “But that’s the way it is. It was fantastic for us to be there. It was an incredible experience. I’m extremely proud of them.”

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Their first game was against a Texas team that won the tournament last year and had previously won 11 of 13 titles from 1992 to 2004.

They ran into a buzzsaw in Mila Hamley, who threw a complete game shutout with 12 strikeouts against Ohio.

“I think when the game was over, there were a lot of teary eyes,” Drake said. “They were put through a lot, but they have nothing to be ashamed of.” We’re all extremely proud of them. We knew we were either going to win the entire thing or lose. I’ve been trying to get them ready. We had a fantastic season; just enjoy the moment, win or lose. You are making history and memories.”

Almaden had previously made a comeback from the lower bracket in the West regionals two weeks ago, winning four straight must-win games and defeating a Southern California team to win the regional title.

The Lightning became one of only eight US teams, along with four international teams, to compete in the Little League World Series.

Drake, a special education teacher at Herman Intermediate School in San Jose, said the three coaches and 12 players had an unforgettable experience.

“It was amazing, the way they treated them like mini superstars,” he said.

The girls arrived last week and were treated to a couple days of ceremonies and activities, including one where they were able to design their own cleats and another where Rawlings presented them all with new uniforms, helmets, bats, gloves, and accessories that they will be able to keep.

“They had them really hooked up,” Drake said.

Jayda, his daughter, is the team’s shortstop and relief pitcher.During the Lightning’s second game, she made a spectacular diving catch, charging in from the pitcher’s circle to make a sprawling grab in foul territory. ESPN highlighted a video of the play.

“I was trying to tell them, be great, do something great, and don’t be afraid to give 100%, go all out, and just be vulnerable,” said John Drake. “I thought she’d catch it when she went for it, but then I was like, ‘oh no, that’s going to drop.'” It was in her head that she heard me say, ‘be great.’ She had just laid out for that. That’s something she’ll remember and cherish for the rest of her life.”

Drake stated that the Almaden parents worked hard to keep a core group of the girls together. More than half of the team has been playing together since the girls were six.

This season saw breakout performances from key players such as Aanya Kapoor and Aspen Hannigan, as well as standout pitching from Jayda Drake and Maya Parada.

“We won’t have the Little League run anymore, but hopefully we can keep them together and have more fun next year,” Drake explained.