Mason O'Blaney powered a seventh inning, game winning solo homerun to lift Waipio over Pearl City 4-3 in the opening round of the Hawaii Little League District 7 Majors Championship Tournament played at Whitmore Field in Wahiawa on Thursday, June 30, 2011.
Waipio advanced to round two in the double elimination championship tournament with the win over Pearl City and will play Waialua on Friday (7/1) at Whitmore Field. First pitch is set for 1:00pm.
Pearl City dropped into the loser's bracket and is scheduled to play on Saturday (7/2) at 1:00pm with their opponent to be announced.
Geoffrey Moore earned the win for Waipio while Kaiwaiola Takemura took the loss in relief for Pearl City.
Home runs made the difference in the another classic match up between Pearl City and Waipio on Thursday.
Waipio got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning on a booming, solo homerun shot to left field by Beau Whittaker off of Pearl City starting pitcher, Dylan Lum.
Waipio put up two more runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 3-0 lead over Pearl City.
Besides being productive at the plate, Whittaker started the game on the mound for Waipio, tossing 5 and 1/3 innings before being relieved by #34 Mason Quinlan with two outs and two runners on base in the bottom of the sixth inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, Pearl City's Davin Kapuras jumped on a Quinlan pitch, driving it over the left field fence for a 3-run homerun that tied the game at 3-3 and forced the two teams into extra innings.
In the top of the seventh inning, Pearl City made a pitching change, bringing in Kaiwaiola Takemura in relief of Ethan Momohara. Momohara came into the game in the top of the sixth inning in relief of Lum. Mason O'Blaney stepped up to the plate to lead off the top of the seventh and proceeded to launch a Takemura pitch into the trees over the center field fence for the game winning solo homerun that broke a 3-3 tie.
Pearl City had one more chance in the bottom of the seventh inning but was turned back by Waipio reliever, Geoffrey Moore. Pearl City left runners on first and second base in their final at bat of the ball game.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
#3 Beau Whittaker watches his fourth inning solo homerun sail over the left field fence that put Waipio up 1-0 over Pearl City.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Pearl City's #6 Davin Kapuras hit a 3-run homerun to left-center field in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game at 3-3 and force extra innings.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Mason O'Blaney heads home after hitting a game winning solo homerun in the top of the seventh inning against Pearl City.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
#75 Geoffrey Moore earned the win for Waipio in relief. Moore is pictured on the mound in the bottom of seventh inning.
@ Whitmore Field
Waipio 000 102 1 4
Pearl City 000 003 0 3
WP Moore
LP Takemura