Central Maui loses to Japan at Little League World Series

The Central Maui baseball team ended its magical run at the Little League World Series today with a 5-0 consolation game loss to Japan at Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport, Pa.

Starting Japanese pitcher Yuto Misaki gave up no runs on six hits in five-plus innings of work. He walked one and struck out 10 to outduel Maui’s Shiloh Gilliland, who was a little unlucky in the three-run first with a pair of bloop hits that led to a pair of RBI-ground outs. In the loss, he went the distance, giving up all the runs on seven hits. He had no walks and one strikeout.

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Japan wasted very little time scoring those runs off Gilliland thanks to three base hits in the opening inning, including a double by Jo Nishizawa to start the game. His bloop hit to left fell in between the left-fielder and shortstop as he hustled into second to beat the throw.

After a bloop bunt that fell in for a single, Daiki Kobari followed with a ground-rule double down the line in right to score the first run of the game. With men on second and third, Yuto Kakeba hit into a fielder’s choice, scoring pinch runner Ryohei Ushikubo from third. Misaki also hit into a fielder’s choice, plating the third run as Japan led 3-0 after one.

Meanwhile, Misaki also was getting the job done on the hill. He blanked Maui on two hits through the first three innings as the visiting West Regional champs seemed a little flat after losing Saturday to River Ridge, La., 9-5 in the United States championship game. Gilliland settled down to get the Japanese kids off the field in the second and third innings as the Maui lads tried to generate some runs over the second half of the game.

Jaren Pascual opened the fourth with a a flare to left and Nakea Kahalehau followed with a bloop infield hit in short right to put two runners on with one out. Kamahao Akima hit into a fielder’s choice to put runners on first and third with two down. Kaedyn Miyake-Matsubayashi fouled off a safety-squeeze bunt before drawing a walk to load the bases for Nicholas Nashiwa. He looked at a pair of strikes before going down swinging for the third out of the inning.

Japan added a pair of two-out insurance runs in the fifth on a single back through the box by Kobari.

Maui put together a little rally in the sixth as the first two batters of the inning had singles to chase Misaki. Reliever Yuto Kakeba came in to face Logan Kuloloia, who drew a walk to load the bases for Duke Aloy. The Maui catcher watched three straight balls before grounding into a double play. In stepped Nicholas Nashiwa, who looked at a called third strike to end the game.