This one hurt so much, coach Shon Malani said, because of how well Noah Palea pitched. ADVERTISING This one hurt so much, coach Shon Malani said, because of how well Noah Palea pitched. Palea was one out from a complete
This one hurt so much, coach Shon Malani said, because of how well Noah Palea pitched.
Palea was one out from a complete game Saturday for the Hilo Mustangs when West Oahu rallied for a walk and three hits to steal a 5-4 victory at the state PONY tournament (ages 9-10) in Hawaii Kai, Oahu.
“Noah pitched so strong that we rode him,” Malani said. “I felt so bad for him because he pitched an unreal Mustang game. One of the best that I’ve seen, and I’ve seen a lot games.”
Hilo will have to win twice Sunday to remain alive.
“We hope to see West Oahu again,” Malani said. “Today was just one of those days.”
Overall, it was a tough day for Hilo teams. With five in action in state play on Oahu, only the Mustang 9s prevailed, staving off elimination.
The Hilo Broncos were two-hit by a Kauai pitcher, losing 11-0 for their first loss in the ages 11-12 tournament.
“He had a great fastball and curveball,” coach Gregg Hirata said. “It will take three wins to reach the championship game, probably against Kauai.”
Meanwhile, the Hilo Bronco 11 and Hilo Pony Blue were eliminated. The Bronco 11s lost 9-7 to Maui. Isaiah Calma went 4 for 4 with a home run and Kolton McCallum pitched 5 2/3 strong innings. Hilo Blue bowed out in ages 13-14 with a 14-4 loss to Maui.
