The OBRL Hawaiian Islanders had already let one lead get away Saturday against Tallahassee-Leon (Fla.), and they weren’t about to let it happen again.
Cole Andrus got a popout to second baseman Zayd Ramo with runners at first and second to finish off the Islanders’ 7-6 victory over Tallahassee-Leon in the final of the Babe Ruth 13U World Series in Glen Allen, Va.
The Islanders led 7-3 entering the seventh and final inning but surrendered three runs on a run-scoring double, an error on the catcher and a sacrifice fly before closing it out.
“The last inning got kind of dicey, but we got those final couple outs and came away with the one-run victory,” Islanders manager Rob Iopa said.
It was the second year in a row a team from Hawaii won the Babe Ruth 13U World Series, with Kado Baseball taking the title last season.
The Islanders (6-1) took a 3-0 lead after three innings, only to have Tallahassee-Leon tie it with three in the fifth. The Islanders scored four in the sixth to go up 7-3 before holding on in the next inning.
“I’m blown away how boys early in their teen years can be so resilient and strong,” Iopa said.
The Islanders’ Joichiro Anderson and Chace Hamada each drove in two runs, and Eli Iopa, the manager’s son, and Brevan Blackwell each scored twice.
Peyton Shimokawa pitched the first five innings and Andrus worked the final two for the victory.
The Islanders scored in the top of the first after Eli Iopa led-off with a walk, went to third on an errant pickoff attempt by the pitcher and scored on Anderson’s groundout. Later in the inning, Hamada doubled in Blackwell to make it 2-0.
The Islanders added a run in the third when Hamada singled in Levi Perry.
Tallahassee-Leon (5-2) tied it at 3-3 in the fifth on an RBI single, an error on the Islanders pitcher and another run scored during a rundown following a single.
The Islanders hadn’t allowed a run in their previous 25 innings.
The Islanders got their four runs in the sixth without the ball leaving the infield. They scored when Anderson squeezed in Andrus, Iopa came in during a rundown, Perry squeezed in Kanoa Naumu and Blackwell scored on a passed ball.
“We had the double-squeeze. We put the ball in play and executed our small ball,” Iopa said.
Eli Iopa was named the tournament MVP, and Naumu also made the all-tournament team. Perry, who played shortstop and center field, made the all-tournament defensive team.
The Islanders, who outscored their opponents 31-4 at the Pacific Southwest Regional in Taft, Calif., won five games at the World Series by two runs or fewer. Their lone tournament loss was 4-2 to Eagle Pass, Texas.
“Coming off regionals we had some easy games and as soon as we got here every game was competitive,” Iopa said. “We had to scratch and claw. Our pitching was amazing, our defense was on point and our offense came through.”
It’s been quite a summer for Eli Iopa, Perry, Shimokawa and manager Iopa. They were part of the Babe Ruth regional championship team in late July, then participated on the Honolulu team that won the Little League Junior (13-14) West Regional in Bend, Ore., earlier this month.
The four decided to continue on in Babe Ruth with the rest of the Islanders joining them in Glen Allen.
Honolulu finished 1-2 at the Junior World Series in Taylor, Mich., which will conclude today.
“I’m proud of the boys and their families. Their journeys have been long and arduous,” Iopa said. “In the end, we had hopes we would be able to make a run at the Little League Junior World Series and the Babe Ruth World Series. He had close to 30 boys play in World Series in two organizations.”
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BABE RUTH 13U WORLD SERIES
At Glen Allen, Va.
Saturday
Championship Bracket
Final
OBRL HI Islanders 7, Tallahs.-Leon (Fla.) 6
Tallahs.-Leon (Fla.) 000 030 3 — 6 8 3
OBRL HI Islanders 201 004 x — 7 7 3
W—Cole Andrus. L—Johnny Papuchis.
Leading hitters—Tallahasse-Leon: Tyson Mortham 2-4, 2b; Carson Koch 2-3, 2 runs; Cooper Hill 2b. OBRL Hawaiian Islanders: Eli Iopa 2 runs; Joichiro Anderson 2 RBIs; Brevan Blackwell 2b, 2 runs; Chace Hamada 2-4, 2b, 2 RBIs; Levi Perry 2b.
The OBRL Hawaiian Islanders finished 6-1 in the tournament.
