Hilo’s batting lineup wasn’t about to be denied the second time through the order.
Hilo scored five runs in the fifth and two in the sixth in a 7-4 victory over Tucson, Ariz., on Saturday at the Little League West Regional (12U) at San Bernardino, Calif.
Hilo’s Jansen Keanu had the game-tying, two-run single with two outs and Demian Iida followed with the go-ahead RBI single in the fifth. James Nishimura worked the first four innings and Ryan Pagan pitched two scoreless innings for the victory.
Hilo (1-0) will face the winner of San Ramon, Calif./El Segundo, Calif., on Monday at 11 a.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
Hilo hit the ball hard, but had little to show for it through the first four innings against Tucson.
In the fifth, Liam Villanueva, the No. 1 hitter in the lineup, led off with a single and Keyan Wada followed with a double. After a pop out, Reese Kualii was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Madden Awaya hit a grounder to the Tucson third baseman, who made a diving stop and fired to the plate. The catcher mishandled the throw, which allowed Villanueva and Wada to score, and put two runners in scoring position.
After a fly out, Keanu hit a two-run single up the middle to tie it at 4-4. Iida put Hilo ahead with a single up the middle, which scored courtesy runner Knoxx Kailimai.
Hilo added two in the sixth on Tadyne Agudo’s triple, which scored Kase Ulibas, and Levi Justo’s sacrifice fly.
Pagan didn’t allow a hit and struck out three in his stint.
Hilo’s Nishimura allowed two singles and a walk to open the bottom of the first. He struck out the clean-up hitter, then got a double play on a pop out to second baseman Wada, who threw to catcher Keanu. The ball arrived in plenty of time and Keanu, a left-hander, applied the tag on the runner.
The first eight Hilo batters were retired before Ulibas hit a double.
Tucson went up 2-0 in the third on a two-out infield single to shortstop and an errant throw to first base.
Tucson added two in the fourth on a throwing error by the Hilo catcher on a double steal with runners at the corners, and an RBI double.
—
At San Bernardino, Calif.
Saturday
Hilo 7, Tucson, Ariz. 4
Hilo 000 052 — 7 8 2
Tucson, Ariz. 002 200 — 4 9 1
W—Ryan Pagan. L—Ethan Burnside.
Leading hitters—Hilo: Madden Awaya 2 RBIs; Jansen Keanu 2 RBIs; Kase Ulibas 2-2, 2b; Keyan Wada 2b; Tadyne Agudo 3b. Tucson: Raj Abramian 2-3; Braydon Rehm 2-3, 2 RBIs; Easton Altherr 2-2, 2b; Miles Anderson 2b.
