The plucky Nunaka Valley girls took their appearance in pool play at the Little League Softball World Series to the limit Monday night before falling 3-2 to Croswell, Mich.

The loss eliminated the Alaskans from the tournament while advancing the Central team from Michigan into the today's nationally televised semifinal in Portland against a team from Crawford, Texas.

The warm summer evening in Portland, Ore., started perfectly for the purple-shirted Nunaka Valley girls, who grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Taria Page, who singled, and Kaela Emerson, who walked, both scored on an error, and the Alaskans seemed to be rolling.

But they would never cross the plate again.

Central tied it 2-2 in the third inning, and the tension mounted in the tight, well-played game as zero after zero went up on the scoreboard.

In the bottom of the sixth, Megan Guitar hit a one-out triple to right-center for Central, barely beating the throw to third base. Brooke Smith followed with a drive to center that was ruled an error, eliminating the Alaskans.

A victory by Nunaka Valley (1-3) would have mandated a tie-breaking formula to determine which team moved on to the semifinals.

Third baseman Page had two of Nunaka Valley's three hits, and Sydney Smith pitched a complete game for the Alaskans.

Shortstop Kaela Emerson provided Nunaka Valley's other hit, a double, and after the third inning she was serenaded with happy birthday over the public address system.

Nunaka's final at-bat opened with promise after Page singled. But hopes were dashed when Gabby Meyerson lined into a double play.

The girls from the Nunaka Valley Little League Association, which last summer celebrated its 50th anniversary, were among 10 teams from around the globe battling for fastpitch softball superiority in the annual tournament for 11- and 12-year-olds.

The Alaskans won a spot in the international tournament by winning the Western Regional tournament in Vancouver, Wash.

They became the second team from Alaska to win one of Little League of America's regional championships and advance to the World Series. In 1995, an all-star team made up of 15- and 16-year-olds played in the Big League Softball World Series in Kalamazoo, Mich., where they placed fourth among six teams. All-stars from three associations made up that team -- Nunaka Valley, Abbott-o-Rabbit and Knik.

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