Honolulu does it again, responding to adversity to beat Nebraska at the Little League World Series

WILLIAMSPORT, PA. >> Ryan Keanu has been nearly perfect in the 2021 Little League World Series.

In Sunday’s game, he hit an inside-the-park home run in the top of the seventh to help Hawaii secure a difficult 11-3 win over Nebraska. He also hit a triple and drove in two runs.

“He’s a strong, focused player,” Honolulu manager Brandon Sardinha said. “He’s very methodical in what he does. There’s nothing that will really surprise us from him. He comes in and does what he’s expected to do. We rely on him a lot.”

Keanu’s efforts helped Honolulu Little League overcome a devastating blow in the bottom of the sixth when Hunter Nepple drove a pitch over the left-field wall for a game-tying, three-run home run.

“This team has amazed me throughout this journey,” Sardinha said. “They were disappointed as anyone would be, but we told them to keep their heads up. They came back and did what they usually do. I couldn’t be prouder of them. It was an awesome win for them to bounce back.”

Shocked might be the only way to describe the bottom of the sixth inning when, with one swing, Nepple changed the course of Sunday’s game.

It started with a mistake, as an error put a runner on before a single gave Nebraska life. Nepple wasted little time capitalizing as he drove a pitch deep onto the hill in left field.

“That’s Nebraska pride as its finest right there,” Nebraska manager Dustin Rader said. “These guys compete like nobody I’ve ever been around before. I would expect nothing different from these guys. There’s a lot of fight in them.”

The early morning start time didn’t seem to bother Keanu at all, as he recorded Honolulu’s first hit of the game, sending a ball into center field for a triple, instantly putting a runner into scoring position.

Micah Bennett drove Keanu in with a single and advanced to third when Kekoa Payanal connected with a double. Both runners were sent home when Pele Payanal hit a single. Bennett would also come on later in the game and pick up the win from the mound.

Keanu finished his day going 3-for-5 with a triple and the inside the park home run to lead Honolulu’s offense, which posted 13 hits over seven innings.

“There’s not an easy out in their lineup,” Rader said. “Our goal was to just give ourselves a chance to win at the end or at least be in it. We did everything we pretty much could have done. They are an amazing ballclub. It was fun to be able to go out and compete with them on the same field.”

Nebraska got back into the game with Nepple’s big swing, but quickly fell behind as Honolulu used a seventh-inning rally to separate for the win.

Chase Thompson, who came on as a pinch hitter earlier in the game, drove a ball to left field to break the tie and give Honolulu a 4-3 lead. Keanu then kept his day going with an inside the park home run for a 7-3 advantage.

“That’s the beauty of our team, they can play almost anywhere,” Sardinha said. “Batting-wise, they are all great hitters. We can use them when we need to. Throughout this entire process through states and regionals those guys have been coming in and producing for us.”

The offense kept coming for Honolulu, as Pele Payanal added to the bleeding in the seventh when he hit a shallow pop to right field that scored two runners.

Nebraska, desperate to stop the rally, turned to Owen Ablott to get the final two outs, but the mistakes continued, as a fielding error at second and a passed ball helped give Honolulu two more runs.

Disaster looked inevitable when Kaikea Patoc-Young was hit in the back of the head by a pitch. It loaded the bases for Keanu, who had already hit a home run in the inning.

Kamau Passi denied Keanu of his chance for a grand slam when he took home on another passed ball from Nebraska. It set up the lone highlight of the inning for Nebraska as Ablott struck Keanu out.

Hawaii threatened in the second when runners advanced into scoring position with Keanu coming up. Nebraska elected to go at Keanu, who struck out swinging on a high fastball by Kowen Rader.

With early run support, Patoc-Young took control by fanning the side on 13 pitches in the bottom of the first inning.

In the fourth, Patoc-Young found himself in a jam when Nebraska put runners in scoring position with two outs. Coach Chasen Uyetake made a quick mound visit, which helped as Patoc-Young finished the inning with the shutout intact.

Patoc-Young pitched into the sixth and had six strikeouts. He was charged with all three runs, but just two were earned.