KAPA‘A — The Yankees were leading 8-0, and all of a sudden, it was an 8-4 ball game Tuesday. The Kawaihau Community Little League Minors division held its championship game Tuesday afternoon at the Kapa‘a Main Diamond, and despite a
KAPA‘A — The Yankees were leading 8-0, and all of a sudden, it was an 8-4 ball game Tuesday.
The Kawaihau Community Little League Minors division held its championship game Tuesday afternoon at the Kapa‘a Main Diamond, and despite a strong comeback effort by the Marlins, the Yankees checked the Marlin bats to clinch the title on a 10-9 margin.
After taking out the first three Yankee batters in order, Falcon Johnson, the Marlins’ starting pitcher, got into trouble in the second inning as the Yankees pushed four runs across the plate.
Another four runs followed in the third inning for the 8-0 bulge.
But in the fourth inning, Johnson redeemed himself with a base-clearing triple. He went on to score on a passed ball for the 8-4 deficit.
The Yankees answered with a run in the fifth and sixth frames, but the Marlins weren’t through and finished with five more runs in the bottom of the sixth for the final arithmetic.
Ekolu Rivera of the Yankees was hit by a pitch in the second inning to fill the basepads, and a walk to Johnny Levinthol pushed Kobe Nagahisa home for the first mark.
Keisha Aki, sporting a bright pink batting helmet, smacked into a 2-RBI shot to score Paul Oyama and Rivera with no outs in the frame. Levinthol marked the final run in the frame that ended with the Yankees poised to score again as three base runners were left stranded.
In the third inning, Preston Nagahisa scored on a Marlin error and the Yankees loaded the bases after Kobe Nagahisa drew first on a walk.
Rivera smacked into a 2-RBI shot to score starting pitcher Mitchell Peralto and Kobe Nagahisa with two outs.
Rivera’s second score of the day gave the Yankees its 8-0 margin at that point.
After getting himself out of trouble in the second inning when the Marlins left three stranded, Realto faltered in the bottom of the fourth frame when Johnson whacked a 3-RBI triple with no outs.
Marlins’ lead-off hitter Matthew Schmidt, Kai Harrison, Tyler Barton, Johnson, and Laakea Aikau, drawing first on a walk, all scored in the bottom of the sixth for the final reading.
