Under normal circumstances, Shon Malani might not have had anything left in the tank emotionally. ADVERTISING Under normal circumstances, Shon Malani might not have had anything left in the tank emotionally. But the sight of his 8-year-old team moving itself
Under normal circumstances, Shon Malani might not have had anything left in the tank emotionally.
But the sight of his 8-year-old team moving itself within a victory of the World Series recharged his batteries.
Hilo Pinto beat Maui 12-1 on Wednesday in Game 1 of the state PONY League championship on the Valley Island.
Jason Mandaquit Jr. came through with three hits and Ivor Brooks, the first of four pitchers, worked two innings to get the victory.
Make no mistake, Malani said, throwing strikes is key, but he’s helped teach his hurlers the finer points of pitching since they were 6.
“They throw the whole kitchen sink: fastballs, curveballs, palm balls,” Malani said.
The coach was only two days removed from watching his Bronco 11s team sweep Mililani to win the state PONY title.
“I had to come down from that emotional high,” he said. “It was draining.”
Brayden Malani, Jaziah O’ili, Tait Labra and Clemson Julian each had two hits for Hilo, which can clinch a trip to the World Series in California with a win at 2 p.m. Thursday. A Maui win would force a winner-take-all at 4:30 p.m.
Like his Bronco 11s, Malani has been working with his Pinto team for several years.
“This is my last team that I’m going to (raise) up. Our experience shows a lot, but Maui had good pitchers,” he said. “That helped keep them in it.”
