Pearl City defeated Ewa Beach 9-2 on Saturday, July 2 in the District 7 Hawaii Little League Majors Division Championship Tournament played at Whitmore Field in Wahiawa.
The win for Pearl City puts them in a match up with Nanakuli on Sunday (7/3). First pitch is set for 1:00pm. Ewa Beach was eliminated after suffering their second loss in the double elimination tournament. Nanakuli eliminated Waialua 10-0 on Saturday to advance.
Ewa Beach found themselves sitting on a 2-0 lead entering the fourth inning when Pearl City turns things around, erupting for four runs in fourth inning and five runs in the sixth inning to put the contest out of reach at 9-2.
In the bottom of the second inning, Ewa Beach lead off batter S. Ellis took Pearl City starting pitcher Joey Ching deep for the game's first run with a solo homerun to left-center field.
Ewa Beach made a pitching change in the top of the third inning, relieving starting pitcher Hunter Breault with Cy Avilla.
In the bottom o the third inning, lead off batter Tala Faletagaloa hit a drive to left field and got called out attempting to slide in at third base. #2 Zane Barr got on base after hitting a double with one out. Pearl City made a pitching change, bringing in #42 Ethan Momohara in relief of Ching. Momohara walked #6 Hunter Breault. Ewa Beach had runners on first and second. Next batter, #21 Shane Shimuzu stroked an RBI double to right field scoring Barr from third. Momohara struck out # 11 Bronson Burr for out number two. Breault got thrown out at home plate attempting to score from third base for the third and final out of the inning.
Pearl City’s #99 Kaiwaiola Takemura led off the top of the fourth inning with a ground rule double that bounced over the left field fence. Next batter #7 Christian Onomura reached first base on an infield single and made it to second base on a steal. Takemura advanced to third base on the play. Next batter, #9 Brent Watanabe walked to load the bases with no outs. Takemura scored on a pass ball at the plate. Ewa Beach made a pitching change, bringing #12 Quinn Nakahara in relief of Avilla. Nakahara walked the next batter Ching to load the bases. Next batter, #63 Joshua Kam hit a bloop RBI single to right field that scored Onomura from third to tie the game at 2-2. #42 Ethan Momohara lined out for out number one. #22 Jerick Nomura hit an RBI single to right field that scored Watanabe from third. Pearl City took a 3-2 lead on the play. Nakahara walked #45 Keanu Nicholson with bases loaded scoring Ching from third base. #5 Micah Balderas hit a grounder that forced out Kam at home plate for out number two. Next batter, Takemura grounded out to second base for the third out. Pearl City scored four runs in the inning to take a 4-2 lead.
Pearl City put the game away with five runs in the top of the sixth inning. #14 Dylan Lum led off the inning with a single to center field. Brent Watanabe re-entered the game as a special runner for Lum at first base. Next batter, Drake Lee hit a single in to left field to put runners on first and second with no outs. Keanu Nicholson hit an RBI single to center field that scored Watanabe from second. Micah Balderas got on with a bunt to load the bases. Takemura stepped up to the plate and hit a 2 RBI double to left field that scored Lee from third and Nicholson from second. Next batter, Christian Onomura hit an RBI single to right field that scored Balderas from third. #6 Davin Kapuras popped out to first base for the first out. Next batter, Joey Ching hit a grounder to the shortstop that forced out Onomura at second base. Takemura scored on the play. Dylan Lum struck out for the final out.
Pearl City’s Keanu Nicholson came into the game to close it out in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Waipio's S. Ellis pictured leading off the bottom of the second inning with a solo homerun to left-center field.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Pearl City's Ethan Momohara blocks the plate as #6 Hunter Breault attempts to score from third base in the bottom of the third inning. Breault was tagged out on the play.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Kaiwaiola Takemura pictured scoring Pearl City's first run in the top of the fourth inning. Pearl City scored four runs in the inning to take a 4-2 lead over Ewa Beach.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
#6 Hunter Breault got the start for Ewa Beach against Pearl City.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Pearl City Manager, Stuart Lee brings his boys together during a visit to mound in the bottom of the third inning.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
#15 Drake Lee pictured hitting a single to left-center field in the fifth inning. Lee would later score in the inning on a 2 RBI single by teammate Kaiwaiola Takemura.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
#45 Keanu Nicholson on the mound to close it out for Pearl City in the bottom of the sixth inning.
@ Whitmore Field in Wahiawa
Pearl City 000 405 9
Ewa Beach 011 000 2
WP Momohara
LP Avilla