Waipio overpowered Pearl City 13-3 on Friday at Puuloa Field in Ewa Beach to advance to the Hawaii Little League District 7 championship scheduled for Monday, July 2. The game between Waipio and Pearl City was called after 3 and 1/2 innings due to the 10-run mercy rule.
Waipio sits in the drivers seat of the double elimination tournament and will wait to see who emerges from Saturday and Sunday's losers bracket match ups. Pearl City will play the winner of today's elimination game between MKH and Ewa on Sunday at 1:00pm at Puuloa Field. The winner will be tasked at beating Waipio twice for the championship.
In Friday's game, Pearl City put across two runs in the top of the first inning off of Waipio starter Aaron Ujimori. The lead was short lived as Waipio exploded for nine runs on six hits in the bottom of the first inning to take a 9-2 lead. Waipio tagged Pearl City starting pitcher Blaise Torres for five runs, Dallas Castro and Makana Canyon for two runs each in relief in the bottom of the first inning.
Waipio padded their lead scoring four runs on four hits in the bottom of the third inning to take a commanding 13-2 lead. Pearl City needed to score two runs in the top of the fourth inning to avoid the 10-run mercy rule but could only get one run across while leaving two runners on base.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Dallas Castro pictured in relief in the top of the first inning against Waipio.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Aaron Ujimori slides in at home plate to tie the game at 2-2 on an RBI single by Maiah Motta in the bottom of the first inning.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Alexander Armenti scores in the bottom of the first inning to increase Waipio's lead to 7-2.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Pearl City's Odin Nakasone pictured trying to hold down Waipio in relief in the bottom of the third inning.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Waipio's Kailyn Barrett pictured behind the plate against Pearl City.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Winning combination! #11 Maiah Motta and #32 Kailyn Barrett play an integral in Waipio's success. The two pictured here working out their strategy to close out the game against Pearl City in the top of the fourth inning. Barrett started the game at catcher and Motta at first base.
Pearl City (2-1) 2 0 0 1 X X 3
Waipio (3-0) 9 0 4 X X X 13