The Hanford 14U Babe Ruth All-Star team’s run at the Pacific Southwest Regional Tournament ended Friday.
Holomua, Hawaii, edged Hanford 3-2 in the elimination bracket final on Morrison Field at Morrison Park, host Orcutt Babe Ruth’s home site, Friday.
Hanford won four straight elimination games to get to the elimination bracket final. The championship bracket will be an all-Hawaii affair, with Holomua going against unbeaten Hilo on Morrison Field Saturday at 10 a.m.
If Hilo wins, Hilo is the tournament champion and will advance to the Babe Ruth 14U World Series that will take place at Hot Springs, Arkansas Aug. 7-20. If Holomua wins, a later game Saturday will determine who advances.
Hanford came up just short Friday after losing 12-1 to Holomua in the first round Monday. After that, Hanford defeated Southern Cal representative Westchester 2-1, Orcutt 6-4, another Southern Cal representative, El Segundo, 6-5 then Northern Cal representative East Sacramento 4-3.
Hanford edged East Sacramento earlier Friday before falling to Holomua later in the day.
Madix Mello and Izzy Elizondo had an RBI apiece against Holomua Friday.
Earlier Friday, Mingo Varela singled home Elizondo with the winning run in the top of the seventh inning, snapping a 3-all tie after East Sacramento had scored twice in the bottom of the sixth inning to knot the score.
Mello finished a complete game by stuffing an East Sacramento rally in the bottom of the seventh. With the bases loaded and one out, Mello got the next batter to ground to third baseman Varela who threw home to start a game-ending 5-2-3 double play.
Damien Salazar snapped a 1-1 tie in the top of the sixth inning with a two-run double to right field that gave Hanford the 3-1 lead the designated visitors had going into the bottom of the sixth.
Hanford beat Orcutt in a regional elimination game after Orcutt defeated Hanford 14-9 en route to winning the Central California Babe Ruth 14U State Tournament that Orcutt hosted at Morrison Park June 28-July 2.
Orcutt, state tournament runner-up Madera and state tourney third-place finisher Hanford were the Central Cal representatives at the regional.