Warriors win USSSA World Series

The Hawaii Warriors, coached by former University of Hawaii player Randy Inaba, rolled to the championship of the United States Specialty Sports Association 11-and-under World Series in Chino Hills, Calif.

The tournament opened July 26 and the Warriors went 3-0 in pool play to earn the top seed in the double-elimination bracket. Hawaii then edged Angels Baseball Academy (Calif.) 6-5 and defeated the Dirt Frogs Baseball Club (Calif.) 8-0. The Warriors beat the Montebello Mayhem (Calif.) 10-0 on Saturday and won a rematch in the finals 14-2 on Sunday.

Matthew Inaba was named the tournament MVP and Asa Kurasaki was named the defensive MVP.

Members of the team were Inaba, Kurasaki, Trevor Ichimura, Ryan Nishi, Shea Yamaguchi, Ryne Aniya, Hunter Hosoda, Cole Mausolf, Cade Yonamine, Keene Tanaka and Tanner Ono. Assisting Randy Inaba were Gary Ichimura, Brant Tanaka and Mark Yonamine.

Molokai wins Hawaii World Series

» H-Force, a 14-and-under baseball team from Molokai, defeated the Oahu Dirtbags for the Hawaii Baseball World Series championship on Sunday at Central Oahu Regional Park.

Eight teams competed in the tournament.

Hawaii claims gold in Arizona

The Aloha Region Girls’ National Youth Team swept all eight matches last week to capture the gold medal in the Gold Division of the 2011 USA Volleyball High Performance Championships, in Tucson, Ariz. It is the first gold medal a Hawaii team has claimed since the Boys National Youth team won three years ago.

Hawaii defeated Team Florida, 25-16, 25-17, 27-25, in the championship. Two of Florida’s three losses came against Hawaii, including a five-set semifinal.

Head coach is David Babino. Players are Erin Perez, Kaitlyn Ka‘ha‘aina, Kasse-Ann Kiriu-Dela Cruz, Casie Gaza, Kacie Chinen, Cydni Asuncion, Kelci Keeno, Taylor Lum, Ku‘ulei Lynch and Joshell Lilo.

Aloha Region sent four teams to Tucson. The Girls National Youth team was first out of 12 teams and the Boys National Youth team took seventh out of nine. The Girls National Select team was ninth out of 24 and the Boys International team 10th out of 12.

USA Girls Youth Blue, with five Hawaii players, won the Girls Youth International Gold Division. Haley Durham, Carly Kan, Loxley Keala, Chelsey Keoho and Shawna-Lei Santos were on the team.

Local boys playing well for U.S.

» All four Hawaii players contributed to the U.S. victory over Bulgaria Monday in the opening round of the FIVB Men’s Junior World Championships, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The scores were 25-22, 25-18, 25-21.

The U.S. fell to top-ranked Brazil Tuesday, 25-19, 21-25, 25-23, 25-19. It ends pool play today against Japan.

Team captain Taylor Crabb had six kills against Bulgaria and Josh Taylor, who played the final set, had a kill and a block. Micah Christenson started at setter and Henry Cassiday at libero. Against Brazil, Crabb added eights kills and a block while Cassiday contributed 16 digs and Christenson 37 assists.

Hawaii kids make University Games squad

» Hawaii players make up nearly half of the United States’ World University Games team, announced Monday by USA Volleyball. Brothers Erik and Kawika Shoji, along with Brad Lawson, Tri Bourne and Riley McKibbin are all on the 12-man roster.

The Games will be Aug. 12-23 in Chenzhen, China. The U.S. last sent a team to the WUG in 2007. It finished third. Team USA also took bronze in 2003.

The team will play practice matches in Osaka this week against Japan’s WUG team. It has two matches against Toyoda Gosei next week in Nagoya.

Team USA opens in China on Aug. 12 against Mexico. Turkey, Czech Republic, the United Arab Emirates and Thailand are in the pool.

Bowen edges out Ishii

Elleair pro Brad Bowen won the Aloha Section PGA Senior Professional Championship by a shot over David Ishii Tuesday.

Bowen opened with a 67 Monday at Turtle Bay’s Palmer Course, then shot a 1-over 73 at the resort’s Fazio Course to capture the $1,000 first prize. Ishii shot 72 and finished at 141.

Hapuna’s Jay Taise (72—143) took third and Larry Stubblefield (70—144) shot the day’s low round to claim fourth. Hilo Muni’s Lance Taketa (73—145) was fifth, followed by Poipu Bay’s Craig Sasada (74—146).

Bowen, Taise, Taketa and Sasada are the Hawaii qualifiers for the Southworth Senior PGA Professional National Championship.

Koga holds share of lead

State high school champion Eimi Koga has a share of the individual lead and Hawaii is a shot out of first after Tuesday’s first round of the Girls Junior America’s Cup, at Genoa Lakes Golf Course, in Genoa, Nev. Hawaii won last year by three shots over Oregon.

Koga, a Moanalua junior, shot a 3-under-par 69. It was one of just four sub-par scores the first day. She parred the first 10 holes, then had four birdies and a bogey on the back.

‘Iolani senior Marissa Chow shot 74 and is tied for 11th, followed by Punahou junior Kacie Komoto (78) and Punahou senior Margaret Min (81).

Hawaii’s team total of 221 (best three-of-four scores) trails Northern and Southern California going into today’s second round. There are 18 teams from the U.S., Canada and Mexico playing.

The final round is Thursday. The Boys Junior America’s Cup opens today in Colorado.