The Honolulu Little League team rallied to defeat Torrance (Calif.) 7-2 today in the championship game of the Western Regional in San Bernardino, Calif.

Both teams had already qualified for the prestigious Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., by finishing in the top two in their region. Hawaii will play Connecticut 7 a.m. Thursday and Torrance plays New Hampshire 1 p.m. Thursday. Games will be telecast on ESPN.

Honolulu, called the “HNL Boys,” trailed 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth of the six-inning game before Pele Payanal ripped a two-out, two-strike, bases-loaded triple for a 4-2 lead.

Honolulu got the first two runners on to open the inning and had runners on second and third with two out when Torrance decided to intentionally walk the 5-9 Ryan Keanu to load the bases. Then the left-hand hitting Payanal laced a drive over the right-fielder’s head that cleared the bases.

Ambidextrous Tyler Shindo relieved starter Eli Iopa in the fourth inning and finished to get the victory. Shindo started at shortstop throwing right-handed. As a pitcher, Shindo would switch from pitching either left-handed or right-handed depending on his comfort or for strategic purposes.

Honolulu padded the lead with three runs in the bottom of the fifth with an infield grounder by Zack Bagoyo and a run-scoring singles by Iopa and Keanu, who reached base all four times in the game.

Hawaii cut it to 2-1 in the bottom of the third on Xane Soares’ two-out single scored Micah Bennett.

Torrance, the Southern California representative, scored two runs in the first on a two-run double by Grant Hays, who said during TV introductions that he “eats fastballs for breakfast.”

Iopa struck out two in the inning despite giving up four hits in the inning.

Both teams will head to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., which starts Thursday and is scheduled to end Aug. 29.

Unlike in past years, no international teams will be involved in the World Series. Instead, the top two teams from each of the eight regionals in the United States qualified.

Honolulu qualified on Thursday by beating Petaluma, the Northern California representative, 13-3. Torrance qualified Friday by ousting Petaluma 6-0 in a game that went seven innings. Gibson Turner struck out 15 in the win.

Teams will be distributed evenly in the World Series, with four region champions and four runners-up in each division — called the Hank Aaron Championship Teams and the Tom Seaver Championship Teams.

The first round of pool play will pit the winners of one region playing the runners-up in another region. While teams from the same region are placed in the same division, they are not scheduled to meet in pool play.