KAPAA — Kawaihau Majors’ Ricky Rego smacked two home runs and nearly pitched a full game to lead the home team to a 4-3 win over Kaneohe Monday during the semifinals of the Hawaii Little League District 1 tournament at
KAPAA — Kawaihau Majors’ Ricky Rego smacked two home runs and nearly pitched a full game to lead the home team to a 4-3 win over Kaneohe Monday during the semifinals of the Hawaii Little League District 1 tournament at the New Kapaa Town Park Main Diamond.
His second homer won the game and sent the team to the championship game today.
“I didn’t think it was going to make it,” Rego said of the homer that cleared the right field fence when the score was knotted at 3 in bottom of the sixth inning. “I thought it would hit the fence so I was just going to run it out.”
The shot triggered shrieks of joy as it cleared the fence in the setting sun.
Earlier, Rego put Kawaihau up 3-0 when he roped a 2-run homer to right that scored Noa Cardinez, who had doubled to open the inning.
The win gave Kawaihau life as it hosts Kailua, the team which edged them, 4-2, Sunday afternoon in the championship game for the District 1 tournament. First pitch is 4 this afternoon at New Kapaa Town Park.
Should Kawaihau pull off a win today, a second title match would take place Wednesday morning at 10. A Kailua win will end the tournament.
“I have a feeling something is going to happen,” said Kawaihau coach Mikey Cardinez. “We can’t afford to make the mistakes we made Sunday. Those were costly.”
Kaneohe, who gave Kawaihau a run for its money during the 2013 District 1 championships, did not go down easy.
Trailing 3-0, Kaneohe got its first score in the fourth inning when pitcher Solomon Farley singled and scored when the ball got past the Kawaihau second baseman for the 3-1 deficit.
With three outs remaining, Kaneohe went all-in during the sixth inning. Farley hit his second single of the day followed by Makalii Katagiri singling to left field.
Farley then scored on a passed ball to close the gap. Katagiri tied the game, 3-3, when he scored on a fielder’s choice.
Knotted at 3, Rego untied it in the last inning.
Kawaihau picked up the win on six hits. Kaneohe finished with five hits. On the mound, Rego picked up the win, going five and a third inning before being relieved by Kevin Flores.
He allowed 3 runs on five hits while striking out 10 Kaneohe batters and walking one.
