Pearl City kept their dream alive of winning the Hawaii State 10 & 11 Little League Championship Tournament with a 6-4 win over Kailua on Saturday at Heeia Elementary School in Kaneohe.
Pearl City is doing it the hard way as they find themselves battling their way through the loser's bracket in the double elimination championship tournament. After losing in the opening round to MKH 8-2 on Friday, Pearl City came back on Saturday and played their hearts out for the win and the opportunity to advance to today's match up with Ewa Beach which is scheduled for 1:00pm. Ewa Beach lost to Kawaihau on Friday in a close 8-7 ball game. Kailua was eliminated from the tournament with their loss to to Pearl City.
In other third round games scheduled for today at Heeia Elementary School, tournament host Kaneohe will take on Waipio at 10:00am in a loser's bracket match up and Kawaihau will face MKH in a battle to see who remains undefeated and earn a spot in the championship game scheduled for Wednesday, July 18.
Kailua and Pearl City played a close game with Kailua nursing a 4-3 lead until the top of the fifth inning when Pearl City scored one run to tie the game at 4-4. Pearl City added two more runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 6-4 lead which would stand as the final score.
Shawn Iwane started for Pearl City before being relieved in the bottom of the fifth inning by Tarynce Antolin.
Hugh Brady, Lucas Milne, and Bryanna Soares pitched for Kailua in the loss to Pearl City.
Scoring Summary:
Top 1
Michael Yanagi walked to lead off the top of the first inning. Shawn Iwane got on first base with a bunt single. Yanagi moved to second on the play and would take third base on a steal. Yanagi scored on a base hit by Tarynce Antolin.
Bottom 1
Kailua scored on an RBI single by Rayce Kojiro that scored Micah Tupua to tie the game at 1-1.
Top 2
Carter Ogino broke a 1-1 tie with a one out solo homerun to center field. Kailua made a pitching change bringing in Lucas Milne in relief of Hugh Brady with two runners on base. Cole Miyamura loaded the bases with a bunt single. Michael Yanagi hit an infield grounder that was fielded by the third baseman who threw out Cello Casarez at home. Shawn Iwane hit a sac grounder that scored Rayson Carriaga from third base for the second run of the inning. Pearl City ended the inning with a 3-1 lead.
Bottom 3
Micah Tupua led off the inning with a single. Next batter Reyn Matsukawa hit a single that advanced Tupua to second base. Shawn Iwane came off the mound to fielded a grounder by Hugh Brady and fired it over to third base to pick off Tupua at the bag. Next batter Dillon Maloney hit an RBI single to left center that scored Matsukawa to close within one run of Pearl City at 3-2 .
Bottom 4
Mana Kahalewai put Kailua in front of Pearl City 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning with a one out 2 RBI single that scored Hank Creedon and Lucas Milne.
Top 5
Pearl City tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the fifth inning. Carter Ogino blasted a one out bomb that bounced off the right field fence that came close to being his second home run of the game. Ogino reached second base with a double. Cheyne Obara advanced from first base to third base. Next batter Cello Casarez recorded the second out of the inning on a fielder's choice that scored Obara from third to tie the game at 4-4.
Top 6
In the top of the sixth inning Kailua made a pitching change bringing in Bryanna Soares in relief of Lucas Milne. Pearl City went ahead 5-4 on drive to left field by Tarynce Antolin that went off the left field fence and missed going out by a couple feet. Michael Yanagi scored from second with the go ahead run. Antolin reached second base with a double. Cheyne Obara hit an RBI single over second base that scored Antolin to put Pearl City up 6-4 which would stand as the final score.
@ Heeia Elementary School in Kaneohe
Pearl City (1-1) 1 2 0 0 1 2 6 6
Kailua (0-2) 1 0 1 2 0 0 4 8
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Shawn Iwane started for Pearl City on Saturday against Kailua.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Tarynce Antolin pictured throwing heat to close out the ball game in the bottom of the sixth inning. Antolin came into the game in relief of starter Shawn Iwane in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Hugh Brady got the start for Kailua. Brady pictured on the mound in the top of the first inning.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Kailua center fielder Dillon Maloney watches Carter Ogino's solo homerun sail over the center field fence in the top of the second inning. Ogino's homer broke a 1-1 tie.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Bryanna Soares pictured hitting a single to right field in the bottom of the third inning.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Kailua's Lucas Milne slides under the tag of Pearl City catcher Michael Yanagi in the bottom of the fourth inning. Kailua took a 4-3 lead on the play.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Michael Yanagi scores in the top of the sixth inning on an RBI single by Tarynce Antolin that gave Pearl City a 5-4 lead.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Cheyne Obara drove in Tarynce Antolin from second base with an RBI single to give Pearl City a 6-4 lead in the top of the sixth inning.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
The Pearl City infield turned a double play to end the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. Shortstop Cheyne Obara makes the throw to first base for the final out.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Kailua and Pearl City coaches congratulate each other during the post game celebration.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Mahalo to the Kaneohe Little League volunteer grounds crew for an awesome job!