Waipio earned their way to the Hawaii Little League 9-10 District 7 Championship game with a 5-2 win over Pearl City on Sunday, June 12, 2011 at Patsy Mink Central Oahu Regional Park (CORP) in Waipio.
The game was a match up between the only two undefeated teams remaining in the championship tournament. Waipio will play in the championship game which is scheduled for Wednesday, June 15 at CORP. First pitch is set for 3:00pm.
Pearl City will play this Tuesday at CORP at 3:00pm against the winner of Monday's losers bracket game. The winner of Tuesday's game will have to beat Waipio twice to win the District 7 Championship and advance to the state tournament.
Waipio got on the scoreboard early in the bottom of the first inning scoring five runs on four hits off of Pearl City starting pitcher Caleb Young.
Waipio's lead off batter, Jordan Donahue starting things off in the bottom of the first inning with a double. Next batter, Zach Lafata got on with a bunt single that pushed Donahue to third base. Lafata stole second base to put runners on second and third. Shaydon Kubo struck out for out number one. Dillon Gabriel hit a double to left field scoring Donahue from third and Lafata from second. Kailyn Barrett got on first base after hitting a pop up that was dropped by Pearl City shortstop, Carter Hirano. Waipio had runners on first and second. #13 Braedon Joines came in to pinch run for Barrett. Next batter, Micah Kaohu got hit by a Young pitch and took first base. Waipio had bases loaded with one out. Breyndon Nakamura stepped up to the plate and hit a single that scored Gabriel from third base. Young walked in the next batter scoring Joines from third. Waipio would take a 5-0 lead on a wild pitch by Young that scored Kaohu from third. Pearl City made a pitching change with one out that sent first baseman Nohealani Hee to the mound and Young to first base. Hee struck out #2 Kaysen Kajiwara and got Donahue to ground out for the third out. Waipio sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning. Waipio scored five runs on four hits to take a 5-0 lead.
The second, third and fourth innings went scoreless. In the top of the 4th inning, Waipio made a pitching change sending Kubo to first base and bringing in first baseman, Dillon Gabriel to the mound.
Pearl City made it interesting in the top of the 5th inning as lead off batter, Caleb Young got on base with a walk. #22 Tarynce Antolin came in the game to pinch run for Young at first base. Next batter, Mikey Englar layed down a sacrifice bunt that pushed Antolin to second base. Brayden Nomura reached first base on a walk putting runners on first and second. Cello Casarez reached first base on a bunt that loaded the bases with one out. Cole Miyamura brought home Antolin from third with an infield RBI single. Chaesten Chon flyed out to right field for out number two. Cheyne Obara drove in Nomura from third base on an RBI infield single. Next batter Nohealani Hee grounded out to end the inning. Pearl City trailed Waipio 5-2.
In the bottom of the 5th inning, Carter Hirano came into the game in relief of Hee with one out. Hirano recorded the next two outs. Hee finished the game allowing no hits with six strike outs and one walk in four innings of work.
Pearl City entered the top of the 6th inning with their final three outs and 5-2 deficit. First batter, Carter Hirano hit a pop up to the pitcher for the first out. Waipio made a pitching change with one out in the inning bringing in Micah Kaohu from right field in relief of Gabriel. Kaohu struck out Caleb Young for the second out. Kaohu put Zion Tupuola-Fetui on with a walk. Kaohu struck out Tarynce Antolin for the final out of the ball game.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Waipio's Jordan Donahue led of the bottom of the first inning with a double off of Pearl City starting pitcher Caleb Young.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
#8 Zach Lafata pictured laying down a bunt in the bottom of the first inning that put Jordan Donahue in scoring position on third base.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Jordan Donahue scored the ball games first run in the bottom of the first inning on Dillon Gabriel's 2 RBI double.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Nohealani Hee relieved starter Caleb Young in the first inning and shut down Waipio until being relieved by Carter Hirano in the 5th inning. Hee held Waipio batters hitless while striking out six with one walk in four innings of work.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
#22 Tarynce Antolin scored Pearl City's first run off of Cole Miyamura's single in the top of the 5th inning.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Cheyne Obara drove in Brayden Nomura from third base for Pearl City's second run in the top of the 5th inning.
@CORP
Pearl City (2-1) 0 0 0 0 2 0 2
Waipio (2-0) 5 0 0 0 0 X 5
WP Kubo
LP Young