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Friday, April 26, 2024 82° Today's Paper


Hilo wins Senior League World Series

 

Hilo (Hawaii) completed a dominant run through the Senior League World Series, defeating Tyler (Tex.), 11-1, on Saturday in the championship game in Bangor, Maine.

Koa Matson delivered the decisive blow, crushing a three-run double to right-center in the bottom of the fifth inning to end the game via the mercy rule.

It took a few seconds before Hilo realized the game was over. Matson’s teammates rushed out of the dugout to mob him near the pitcher’s mound to celebrate the championship.

Hilo outscored its opponents 51-12 and only got better as the tournament went on.

In its last four games, including Saturday, Hilo won by a combined total of 38-2.

Chayce Kaaua finished 3-for-3 with two runs scored to end an amazing run in which he hit .632 (12-for-19).

Kean Wong, brother of former UH All-American Kolten Wong, went 2-for-4 with a run scored and hit .522 (12-for-23) in the series.

Korin Medeiros was 3-for-3 with a double, two runs and two RBIs as Hilo played all 14 players in the game.

Hilo’s 19 hits were plenty of run support for pitcher Quintin Torres-Costa, who went the distance, allowing three hits and one run with no walks and six strikeouts in five innings.

“Fastball is my bread and butter so I had to just rely on that,” he said after the game. “If that didn’t work then I don’t know.”

Torres-Costa, Kaaua and Wong have all committed to play collegiate baseball at Hawaii.

Wong will be a junior and Torres-Costa a senior at Waiakea while Kaaua will be a junior at Hilo High.

 

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