Padraic duffy, Journal staff

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Everything that could go wrong did.

Or so it seemed Saturday to the Canyon Lake Little League players and fans.

The Rapid City team gave up seven runs in the fourth inning thanks to three errors, two walks, and a hit batsmen, and wound up losing to Connecticut 9-4 in the Little League World Series.

"The team wanted to play better than it did," Canyon Lake manager Doug Simons said. The Rapid City team fell to 0-2 in pool play, meaning its next game against Hawaii will be its last of the season. "They're disappointed right now, but they'll get over it."

It's easy for Simons to identify the reason for his teams 0-2 start in the Little League World Series.

"It was really two innings that cost us," Simons said of the fourth inning on Saturday and the eight-run first against Florida on Friday. "You just can't have a bad inning here, with the talent and pitching that other teams have, like maybe we normally could."

Canyon Lake will square off with Hawaii on Monday at 1 p.m. MDT in its final game of the World Series and the season.

"We're just trying to be a spoiler to Hawaii now," Simons said. "We're hoping to go out and try to get a win for us and for all of South Dakota. We're just telling the kids that this is the first time we've been here and we want to be able to go home with at least one win."

Canyon Lake hopes to draw on some of the resolve it showed in the sixth and final inning Saturday. Down 9-1, the Rapid City team scored three times before ultimately falling to Connecticut.

But regardless of the outcome Monday, it has been a trip that none of Simons' team will soon forget.

"How can you not be (excited)?" Simons said. "When you get out here and see all the fans, and see all the people out here you can't help but have a good time. It's still been a great experience for them.

"Now we're just going to practice a little tomorrow night and go out and do our best against Hawaii."