The Decatur Gators fastpitch team lost their first game of the season to the Peninsula Seahawks 8-6 on March 21 at Decatur High School.

“We were expecting strong competition, and I thought our girls did great today,” Head Coach Emily Hess said.

Coming into the contest, Decatur was 3-0 on the season, averaging 17 runs a game. Over those three games, the Gators had only allowed 10 runs total during the start of their season.

The Gators had their work cut out for them for their fourth game of the season. Peninsula went 1-1 in the state tournament last season, but entered as the fourth seed at the 3A level a season ago. Decatur’s postseason was not as successful. Last season, the Gators lost twice in the district round, ending their season too early.

“We got some really strong leaders. Our senior captains really lead this team and they’ll continue to lead us all the way,” Hess said.

With both teams coming in undefeated, it was going to be a good game. The last time these teams played was April 3, 2014. The result of that game was a Peninsula win in extra innings, 16-9, over the Gators.

In the first, Peninsula got on Decatur starting pitcher Karen Cervantes early. A lead-off single was followed by a two-out double to put Peninsula on top, 1-0.

The Gators answered the call in the bottom of the first. With two outs in the inning, Kahea Sharpe singled to left field, which brought up Sina Fuiava. She took the 1-1 pitch over the left field fence, giving the Gators the lead. Right after Fuiava, Decatur’s left fielder Nini Sevaaetasi hit her own homer, putting the Gators up by 2, leading 3-1.

Neither team scored in the second, but both did in the third. Peninsula struck Decatur for three runs in the third, Ava Miranda notched her second and third RBIs of the game with her second double, but got thrown out at third trying to stretch the hit into a triple. But Peninsula did enough to tie the ball game at 3-3.

In the Decatur half of the third inning, Sharpe got on base again with a one out walk. Fuiava then hit her second home run of the game and recorded her third and fourth runs batted in, and gave Decatur a 5-3 lead over the Seahawks.

Peninsula responded in the top of the fourth. A lead-off home run cut the lead to one. A one-out single from the Seahawks created some problems for the Gators. The runner advanced on a passed ball and a ground ball out. Then with two outs, Peninsula scored the tying run, going into the bottom of the fourth, 5-5.

The next and final run Decatur scored came in the sixth inning. Decatur took the lead on another home run, Sevaaetasi hit her second of the game and arguably the biggest of the season so far. The home run seemed to give Decatur the momentum and energy they needed to close out a fantastic game up to this point.

Sevaaetasi is one of the team’s captains, that’s a badge of honor she wears proudly.

“It’s my last year. A lot of the girls look up to me so I try and set the tone for everybody. I look up to my teammates as well. I got them and they got me,” Sevaaetasi said.

However, the Seahawks put up a fight in the seventh. A lead-off single and a dropped third strike base runner put the Gators in a difficult situation. Hooper, who homered earlier for the Seahawks, hurt Decatur once more. She knocked a one-out two-run double, which ended up being the winning run scored on her hit. Hooper would score on a sac bunt and after the Seahawk seventh was over, and Peninsula led 8-6.

Decatur would go down in order on three strikeouts in the seventh.

“The girls went out and played well. We just weren’t able to hold them in the end,” Hess said.

“We just have to compete… Our plan is to go far and have fun at the same time. We want to make history and that’s how I want to be sent off,” Sevaaetasi said.

For Decatur to make history, they have to make the opening round of the state tournament — something they haven’t done since 2005.