GILROY >> It wasn’t the start, nor finish, Aptos Little League’s 11-year-old All-Stars envisioned in the Section 5 Tournament final Monday.

The District 39 champion dug itself a six-run hole early, pulled within two runs at the midway point, but ultimately fell 8-5 to D-59 champ Santa Teresa.

Luckily for Aptos, it was its first loss in the double-elimination tournament. The teams will square off again in a winner-take-all game at Gilroy Sports Park on Tuesday, after the Sentinel went to press. In addition to earning the Section 5 banner, Tuesday’s winner will also advance to the Region 2 NorCal State Tournament in Lemoore.

“We told them that being upset over a loss doesn’t make us winners,” Aptos coach Aaron Meisser said of his post-game speech. “We’re going to come back and play Aptos baseball tomorrow.”

Winning pitcher Michael Nam, a tall, slender left-hander, pitched into the fifth inning, when he was relieved by Brendon Pham. Landon Collen recorded the final two outs.

“It was a good start for us,” Santa Teresa coach Yani Villaneda said. “We got a good little jump. A few errors that we’re going to correct and kinda work on, and kinda just keep pushing, keep grinding. …It’s a great group of kids. They’re hungry, they’re motivated and here for them.”

Blake Weston also pitched into the fifth and was relived by Brady Christensen, who was brilliant for 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Christensen will start for Aptos in the Section 5 finale.

Santa Teresa had its first four hitters reach base and score. Ethan Vierra reached on a bunt single, Akilleez Villaneda singled, Pham reached on a fielding error at shortstop and Nam hit an RBI single.

Vierra and Villaneda also reached base in the second inning and scored on Pham’s two-run single to jump ahead 6-0.

“We made too many mistakes on defense in the first inning,” Aptos’ coach said. “We made some base running mistakes in the first and I believe the second. We had the baserunners, we just didn’t do it today.”

Christensen doubled and scored when Van Lesan reached on a throwing error to first base in the bottom of the third and Aptos produced a three-run third to pull within two runs, 6-4. Colin Cormier reached on a fielder’s choice, Shane Melenudo reached on an error, and Julian Almand reached on fielder’s choice that allowed Cormier to score. Melenudo scored on Lesan’s groundout, and Almand scored when Benji Dunton reached on a fielder’s choice.

Pham and Nam scored in the fifth to give Santa Teresa an 8-4 lead, and Lesan tripled and scored on Weston’s RBI single in fifth.

Cormier and Christensen reached base in the bottom of the sixth, but Santa Teresa’s Collen induced a groundout to end the game, leaving Aptos with a total of 11 stranded runners.

While Aptos’ defense has played better games — Santa Teresa’s Villaneda walked and stole second base on the same play in the second inning — it did receive a gem from centerfielder Jack Churchill in the second, when he threw to second base to force out Grant Kiehn on Vierra’s single.

Christensen also shined. He retired the first three batters he faced on a total of six pitches.