Viloria-Rivera strong in Mustang All-Stars win

LIHU‘E — The Lihu‘e Mustang All-Stars pushed four runs across in the fifth inning to ice a 9-1 win over the West Kaua‘i Mustang All-Stars before a crowded Lihu‘e County Park, Tuesday afternoon.

The Protect Our Nation’s Youth Mustang playoffs continue Thursday at the Hanapepe field adjacent to the Hanapepe Stadium in the best-of-three series.

First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Game 3, if necessary, will be determined following the Thursday match by a flip of a coin.

Kobe Viloria-Rivera, going the distance for Lihu‘e, had a one-hitter going until the fifth frame when West Kaua‘i pushed one run on one base hit in the loss.

Brennan Perreira was hit by a pitch to get aboard and scored on a nice touch by the West Kaua‘i catcher E. Aldrete.

Viloria-Rivera finished with one run allowed on three hits, striking out 11 West Kaua‘i batters, including three straight in the second inning. He walked one batter and hit two, both in the fifth inning.

Viloria-Rivera, scoring twice in the win, opened the scorebooks after walking first and scored in a Ricky Rego RBI single, advancing Zachery Hee into scoring position in the second inning.

Lefty Micah Ephan pushed Rego and Hee across the plate for the first three runs of the game.

Lihu‘e went on to finish the game with an explosive four-run fifth frame on three hits.

Hee, lacing a double in the fourth inning, finished by scoring three times and leading the Lihu‘e bats with two hits. Ephan notched two singles, along with C. Manera. Oshima, Rego and Vilatora-Rivera each had one hit.

The Bronco All-Star playoffs will take place next Tuesday and Thursday, said Mark Domingcil, the Kaua‘i PONY Region Director.

Winners of both the Bronco and Mustang playoffs will represent Kaua‘i at the Hilo tournament, July 1 through 5, the first time all three divisions — Mustang, Bronco and Pony — will be played in one weekend.