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Monday’s win was a microcosm of Nevada’s dedication

By Chris Masse 6 min read

Initially, it appeared Hawaii would take the lead. A hard grounder ricocheted off first baseman Oliver Johnson. The two-out scorcher would have brought in the go-ahead runner from third.

Instead, second baseman Gunner Beranek was in the right place at the right time. He was backing up the play, stopped the ball and sprinted toward first, beating the runner by a step and keeping the game tied. An inning later, Henderson, Nevada grabbed the lead for good as it edged Hawaii, 3-2 and reached tonight's winner's bracket final against Texas.

"The first baseman probably would say he should have bodied that, but to have a kid like Gunnar who's a twitchy athlete, his baseball's IQ off the charts, and in all honesty he shouldn't have been there to make the play, but because of his athleticism and instincts, he does. That's a huge play because if we don't get that, then a run scores and instead of a tied game, we're chasing one."

And instead, Henderson is a win from reaching Saturday's U.S. Championship.

It's no accident either that Beranek was where he was to make the play. It was a super play, but it also was one for which Henderson was well-prepared. That play and so many other great ones Henderson made against Hawaii to propel it to victory and Wednesday's winner's bracket final.

That defensive clinic was not just a testament to Henderson's talent, but also its work ethic. Time after time, the Mountain champions made tremendous plays in clutch situations in front of nearly 10,000 fans. They were able to do so, too, because of all the work they have put in when nobody is watching.

"We work on situations and we don't do a lot of it with base runners, but we tell them, especially in this Little League all-star tournament format, it's not like you're playing four games a week and you can work in reps and do certain things," Johnson said. "So we pride ourselves on their ability to practice and these boys make it go and without their effort at practice, it's all for not. They do believe in each other and the way they practice makes everyone better. It definitely shows their beliefs in other people because they've seen their teammates work."

Every player has done the work and Monday's victory was a microcosm of what has made it so good this summer. That dedication and commitment to constant improvement has no ensured it of no worse than a top three finish in the United States.

While Henderson has excelled defensively all summer, it conducted is master class against Hawaii. It could not have come at a better time either because the game was tied entering the sixth inning. If Henderson had not made a series of good plays from every level on defense, the result likely would have been flipped.

Combine the defense with fabulous pitching from Gunner Gaudin and Henderson had everything it needed to hand Hawaii its first loss before the U.S. Semifinals in four Series appearances since 2010. Gaudin stranded six runners and, like Wyatt Erickson, in a first-round win against New York, he could pitch to contact and attack hitters knowing his reliable defense was firmly behind him.

"It's great to have these guys behind our back and making all the plays," Gaudin said. "Anything that happens, I know they're there, so it's amazing to have these guys behind my back."

Henderson constantly validated that trust against Hawaii. He only need look straight ahead to see one constant source of strength. Catcher Parker Soranaka has been a rock behind the plate this entire all-star run, keeping balls in front of him, slowing down running games and making alert plays.

He did it again at the perfect time, clinching the win Monday. The tying runner was on first base when Gaudin collected his fourth strikeout for the second out. The ball hit the dirt, but Soranaka understood that since first base was occupied, the hitter could not go to first and automatically was out.

The lead runner appeared uncertain, so Soranaka threw to first on an attempted pickoff. The throw forced the runner to go for second and first baseman Noah Letalu threw to shortstop Russell McGee who made an easy tag as Henderson secured its sixth straight win since regionals.

"It was pretty cool seeing Parker throwing the ball (to first)," Gaudin said. "It was the greatest feeling."

"Having Parker to know to snap it down, that's something we hang our hats on," Johnson said. "Let's let our defense work; make plays behind them. They bunted the ball well, and we made those plays. I can only speak from a coach's perspective, but it's outstanding to watch them believe in their team."

Left fielder Luke Lentz took his turn highlighting the team's chemistry and defensive prowess in that sixth inning as well. He made another game-changing play, staying with a wicked line drive hit into the left-center gap. The left fielder sprinted, extended his glove high and hauled it in, taking away a potential lead-off double or triple.

Two batters later the game was over. Again, if a hard-working Henderson player had not perfectly read the play and executed it, the game's outcome could have turned out much different. This was a team believing, trusting and doing everything right at the right times.

"We wouldn't be here if we had selfish players," Johnson said. "The families that we have are nothing but supportive; everything's been outstanding."

Put it all together and Henderson has made its mark. It is one of the country's three best teams. The hard work has paid off and the remarkable, final ride continues.

"I think the most fun thing is just playing this sport that I love on a new platform. Little League is special. It's not like club ball, where club ball you always get another chance," Letalu said. "But here in Little League, it's like the start of my baseball career and now that it's coming closer to an end, it just always holds a special place in my heart for my baseball career."

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