WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. >> The Southeast Region champion’s motto through two games against Honolulu Little League has been “Why not us?” in reference to the West champion’s dominance over the field in four Little League World Series contests.

That included a 13-0 victory over Nolensville, Tenn., of the Southeast Region in just four innings in Wednesday’s U.S. semifinal game. Honolulu has shown four Little League teams why it couldn’t be them.

Saturday was a continuation of those first four games, as Honolulu locked it down with pitching and timely hitting to capture a 5-1 victory to win the U.S. Championship before an estimated 26,000 fans in attendance at Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport, Pa.

The win put Honolulu in today’s Little League World Series Championship against Curacao. That game will be played at 9 a.m. and broadcast nationally on ABC.

“We keep telling the kids this is their end of the summer,” Honolulu manager Gerald Oda said. “This is going to be their last game of the summer. Their last one as 12-year-olds. When we go home, our journey ends. We definitely wanted to stress to the players to enjoy.”

Winning helps with that, and knowing your teammates have your back takes off some of the pressure.

Cohen Sakamoto hadn’t allowed a hit in the entire Little League World Series. But in the fourth inning Saturday, when he gave up a hit, allowed a run and had a base runner on second with just one out and the score 3-1, he wasn’t worried.

“I didn’t feel any pressure because I knew I had a great defense behind me,” Sakamoto said. “Even if I didn’t, I knew someone was going to pick me up.”

He struck out the next two batters to end the inning and then got the help he seemed to know was coming, in the form of a two-run homer by teammate Ruston Hiyoto in the bottom of the inning.

>> PHOTOS: Honolulu captures U.S. title

Sakamoto finished with seven strikeouts and teamed with reliever Luke Hiromoto to hold off Tennessee. Honolulu will play Curacao, a 1-0 winner over Taiwan in the international bracket earlier Saturday.

SAKAMOTO’S stats, like his club’s, have been stellar throughout the 20-team tournament. In 13-2/3 innings he struck out 24 batters, and the two hits he gave up Saturday were the only ones he allowed. He can’t throw today under Little League pitch-limit rules.

“Hats off to Cohen for buckling down when we really needed to buckle down,” Oda said.

“I hate that they are so good, but I also hate that they are so nice,” Tennessee manager Randy Huth said of the Honolulu team. “Their coach, Gerald, is so nice. The kids tipped their hats to our fans after the game. They are great.”

Honolulu has outscored its opponents 47-2. It has already topped last year’s squad, which finished third at the LLWS, and now will try to match the Hawaii teams from 2005, 2008 and 2018 that ended the season with a championship victory in Lamade Stadium.

Sakamoto received a nice defensive play to open the game when second baseman Kekoa Payanal streaked across shallow center field to snag a short fly ball. Sakamoto then retired Jack Rhodes with a strikeout to get by two of the most dangerous hitters in the entire tournament.

A fly ball to right field was cleanly fielded by Hiromoto to end the top of the first in 1-2-3 fashion.

Tennessee starter Trent McNiel, who got the win in the team’s opening game, used different arm angles and off-speed pitches to contain the dangerous Honolulu hitters.

McNiel forced consecutive fly-ball outs to right field before a single by Jaron Lancaster and a double by Daly Watson scored the game’s first run.

Lancaster showed no hesitation heading around third as he easily made it home. Just for good measure he did slide into home as the Honolulu supporters let out a big cheer.

A pop fly to shortstop ended the inning, but not before Honolulu gave Sakamoto the lead.

Wright Martin became the first Tennessee runner when he contacted Kaeo Nouchi’s catcher’s glove to lead off the second inning. Sakamoto didn’t fret over the base runner for long as he fanned two batters and forced a ground-out to second.

Lancaster was up to his usual displays of fielding prowess as he knocked down a ball at shortstop, then made a quick throw to first. It appeared he would not be able to get the runner, but he picked the ball up and threw it to first just in time.

“I’m just so happy and proud of the kids,” Oda said. “There are no other games tomorrow and I just want them to enjoy themselves. If we’re fortunate at the end of the day, we get one more run than them, great. If we don’t, as long as we fought hard from the first pitch to the last pitch, no matter what, it’s going to be a great day.”

Sakamoto helped his own cause in the second inning with a leadoff single to left field. He was caught on a force-out at second as Hiromoto attempted to bunt the runner over.

Nouchi followed with a five-pitch walk, and both he and Hiromoto advanced on a passed ball. Hiromoto scored when Tau Purcell hit into a fielder’s choice at second base. A second run scored off a single from Payanal before the inning ended with a fly ball to second base.

“My job as a leadoff hitter is to help my teammates,” Payanal said. “I didn’t get a hit during my first at-bat but had to help my teammates. He threw sidearm with his slider.”

McNiel was able to retire Honolulu in order in the third inning. Lancaster chipped a ball to second, Watson flied out to right field, and Kobe Hino hit an inning-ending groundout. It was the first time Honolulu was put down in order throughout its five games of the LLWS.

Rhodes was able to spoil Sakamoto’s bid at a no-hitter as he opened the top of the fourth with a hard-hit ball to the wall.

A surprising error at second base on a dropped pop-up gave Tennessee a second base runner, with Rhodes advancing to third. Honolulu players met at the mound to help calm Sakamoto down.

Honolulu’s ace then gave up his first run of the tournament when Martin connected with a swinging bunt. Nouchi elected to get the runner at first as Rhodes scored from third to cut Honolulu’s lead to 3-1.

Being challenged for the first time since getting to Williamsport, Sakamoto responded with consecutive strikeouts to end the inning. After Hiyoto’s homer pushed the lead to 5-1, Sakamoto would reach the fifth inning and give up a single as he crossed the 85-pitch mark. He left to a standing ovation from both sides.

Hiromoto was given the ball to finish off the inning and kept Honolulu’s four-run advantage intact. He needed just one pitch to force a ground ball to the shortstop.

“Hats off to the kids,” Oda said. “It all goes back to our saying ‘we above me’. It’s all about your role on the team. Everyone has a different role. Once you have that role, you just have to do your best.”

Honolulu’s depth has been outstanding the entire tournament, and it continued to show in Saturday’s U.S. Championship. Mikah Noda returned after being in health protocol and reached base when he was hit by a pitch.

Hiyoto was called on to pinch-hit and launched a homer over the centerfield wall. The shot fortified Honolulu’s advantage an inning after Tennessee was able to score its first run of the day.

“We knew our offense could get those runs back,” Hiyoto said. “We just wanted to help out our teammates. It all felt good.”

Rhodes tried to rally his team in the sixth inning with a leadoff single. But a double play from Payanal, who caught a line drive up the middle and doubled Rhodes off first. Hiromoto, who pitched the final 1-1/3 innings, then recorded a strikeout to end the game and send Honolulu to the World Series Championship game.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.