KAPA‘A — The Kawaihau Community Little League Majors All-Stars will face the Kailua All-Stars for the title of the Little League District 1 Tuesday starting at 4 p.m. at the New Kapa‘a Town Park Main Diamond. Kawaihau, under the direction
KAPA‘A — The Kawaihau Community Little League Majors All-Stars will face the Kailua All-Stars for the title of the Little League District 1 Tuesday starting at 4 p.m. at the New Kapa‘a Town Park Main Diamond.
Kawaihau, under the direction of head coach Kennison Nagahisa, is currently undefeated in District 1 playoff action after edging the Kaneohe All-Stars in a nail-biting 1-0 victory Saturday morning, which followed a 6-2 win over the Kailua All-Stars Sunday afternoon.
The win over Kailua gave Kawaihau the bye Monday while Kailua faced Kaneohe for the honor of advancing against Kawaihau for the District 1 title today.
Kaneohe took an early 3-0 lead on three hits in the second inning and added two more runs in the third inning before Kailua opened up its score books when Noah Ota singled and advanced to second on a walk to Kalamaku Kuewa, getting third on a fielder’s choice and scoring on an RBI single by La‘akea Matthews for the 5-1 deficit.
Kailua bats came alive in the fourth and fifth frames as Kailua added four runs in each of the innings, fueled by a solo home run by Logan Hinshaw and a three-RBI triple by Kuewa in the fourth to knot the contest, 5-5.
Chayne Wayton walked and Matthew Fairfax beat out an infield single to open the fifth frame for Kailua.
With two outs, Kalae Pauli walked to load the pads and another walk to Ota drove Wayton home for the 6-5 go-ahead and a Kaneohe pitching change.
Kuewa was ready and smacked a base-clearing double to center field for the final math.
Kaneohe got one last gasp in the sixth when Kaulka Umiamaka got first on a Kailua miscue, Blake Hadama being inserted as a special pinch runner.
Bronson Hakkei smacked into a double, Hadama being caught at third base on the hit, which rattled off the left field fence and fired to third on the fielder’s choice.
But the hopes for the comeback died on the ensuing double play, sending Kailua to the finals.
Kaneohe opened its scorebooks in the second frame when Hunter Fujitani walked with one away followed by Zamen Samoa doubling and Jesse Torres, the Kaneohe starting pitcher, marking an RBI on a single to score Fujitani.
Umiamaka singled to score Samoa and Hakkei marked an RBI to score Torres for the three runs in the second inning.
Cole Kashimoto got first on a Kailua error in the third inning and crossed on a two-run homer by Shane Himeda.
