YORK, Pa. — The opening day of the ASA 16-and-under Eastern National Softball Tournament may not have quite gone the way the Ohio Jaguars would have hoped, but the coaching staff believes the team is ready for when the important action begins today.

In two pool-play games Thursday, the Jaguars opened with a 3-1 loss in eight innings to the Lady Stars from Chapel Hill, N.C. in a game when the 90-minute time limit was reached. In the second game, the Jaguars lost an 8-2 decision to the Northcoast Patriots from Albany, N.Y. But pool-play results do not count.

But manager Mike Hussing believes his girls are ready for the start of double-elimination play. The Jaguars begin that at 2 p.m. against the Valley Rage from Beaver Falls, Pa. If they win that game, a second will be played at approximately 5 p.m. If they lose the first game, they are off until Saturday.

“I think the girls played pretty well,” Hussing said. “We played well in the first game, but the time limit got us. We had a runner at second and our No. 3 and 4 hitters coming up when the game was stopped.

“The first game, we started a little slow with our bats. If we play (today) like we did in the first game, I think we can win some games. We’ve just got to hit.”

Megan Gochneaur started Thursday’s first game and went the distance, giving up just five hits, striking out three and walking none. But her teammates could manage just two hits, a pair of doubles by Amber Hurst.

Gochneaur was in a scoreless pitchers’ duel until the eighth, when the Stars scored all their runs. In the bottom of the eighth, Hurst’s second double drove in Celine Pollander with the Jaguars’ only run. Celine Pollander was stuck at second when time ran out.

In the second game, Pollander started and lasted three innings, yielding four hits and three earned runs while walking two and not recording a strikeout. Sarah Urchek went the final three innings, surrendering seven hits and five runs, walking two and striking out one.

The Jaguars scored both their runs in the first for a 2-1 lead, but the Patriots tied the game in the second, went ahead with a five-run fourth and added an insurance run in the sixth.

Megan Hussing led the offense for the Jaguars with a two-run single. Shainna Gale, Alyssa Nank and Gochneaur each had singles for the Jaguars.

— Karl Pearson