Nanakuli 1 win away from reaching LLWS

Earl Keamo-Young hit a grand slam and Nanakuli held on to defeat Rincon (Ariz.) 6-5 on Friday to advance to the championship game of the Little League World Series Western Regional at Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino, Calif.

Nanakuli will play Petaluma (Calif.) for the right to advance to the Little League World Series today at 2 p.m.

The game will be televised on ESPN.

Keamo-Young, who is hitting .556 in the regional, gave Nanakuli a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning with his home run.

Braiden Ayala added an RBI single in the fourth that proved to be the difference as Rincon mounted a comeback in the bottom of the sixth.

Arizona scored twice to pull within one and put the tying run on second before Drayden-Dean Coyaso recorded the final two outs to earn the save.

Danson Oliva II allowed three runs — one earned — on seven hits in 42⁄3 innings to earn the win.

Coyaso also had two hits and scored twice.

The gane was played in temperatures that reached 110 degrees.