Travis Bondallian will take a trip to a mainland regional any way he can get it.
However, he couldn’t help but smile a little wider Monday after the Gold Coast All-Stars conducted their business the old-fashioned way: They earned it.
Sunny Akau was at her best at the most important time, pitching a three-hitter in the decisive Game 3 of the Little League softball district championship at Walter Victor complex. With the 10-2 win against Hilo in the Majors division, Gold Coast punched a trip to the West Regional in San Bernardino, Calif.
Usually, such trips are rubber-stamped for Gold Coast, which often gets a bye because it doesn’t have an district opponent or one at the state level, in any of the three divisions.
“This is kind of more rewarding,” Bondallian said. “Little bit of a chip on our shoulder and a target on our back. “I really wanted to prove that we deserve it.”
Akau said she felt something, too, but it wasn’t necessarily a getting-a-monkey-off-her-back type situation.
“I just wanted to win so bad,” she said.
Gold Coast said it wasn’t surprised Sunday when upstart Hilo staved off elimination in Game 2 behind a complete game from Emily Hora – the All-Stars just wanted to make sure it didn’t happen again.
Bondallian said he had a restless night’s sleep, and “today before the game we worked to prepare for her.”
That extra work was apparent from the outset of the winner-take-all.
Leadoff hitter Chesney Palos set the tone for what would be a five-run uprising in the first inning with a double, scoring on Iliana Kaiamakini’s single, and after a walk and an out, Maile Espejo and Freeda Tosie added run-scoring singles.
Kaiamakini and Espejo also collected hits as Gold Coast tacked on five more runs in the fourth, an inning that was highlighted by Rihanna Joaquin’s two-run triple.
After Akau took a win and a loss in the first two games of the series, her father, assistant coach Andrew Akau, went to Bondallian and wondered if Gold Coast should change pitchers to give Hilo’s batters a new look in the circle.
“No way,” Bondallian responded. “She wanted this game.”
Sunny Akau – who pitched for Bondallian’s team in Honokaa during the regular season – was in complete command save for small blip on the radar in the second inning, when an error and hits by Hilo’s Jaime Santos and Zoe Rose led to two runs.
Painting pitches on the inside corner, Akau struck out three and walked one, retiring 12 of her final 14 batters as her defense did its job.
Gold Coast, which also draws players from Kailua-Kona, Waimea and Waikoloa, opens play at regionals June 21 against two-time defending champ Utah.
“I’m looking forward to playing new people and meeting new people,” Akau said.