The Hilo Mustang 9s aren’t used to losing, so coach Shon Malani wondered how his team would respond when facing elimination.
The Hilo Mustang 9s aren’t used to losing, so coach Shon Malani wondered how his team would respond when facing elimination.
Sometimes having the attention span of a 9-year-old is a good thing.
Hilo played with a short memory after letting one get away, bouncing back Saturday with a 15-10 victory over Hart of Southern California to remain in contention at PONY West Zone in Walnut, Calif.
“Today was a different story,” Malani said.
Except for the weather.
As many ohana of Hilo players and coaches waited out Tropical Storm Darby back home in rain-deluged East Hawaii, the Mustang 9s dealt with the scorching heat again in Eastern Los Angeles County, where lack of wind and mid-humidity are a trend. Malani said the heat index made it feel as if it was 108 degrees.
“You have to keep the players hydrated,” Malani said. “That can be tough. All they want to drink is soda, but we have to pump them with water.”
Using four pitchers, Hilo’s bats broke through. Quinn Waiki, Clemson Julian, and Landyr Ishii each finished with two hits. Ivor Brooks started and pitched three strong innings, Ishii worked 2 1/3, and after Braden Gomes was called upon, Waiki came into get the last two outs.
Hilo couldn’t hold on to a late lead Friday, falling to the Southern California’s No. 2 seed, Simi Valley, 9-8. The Mustangs will have to win twice Sunday, starting with a 10:30 a.m. HST game against Ceres (Northern California). The winner will have to beat Simi Valley twice (once Sunday and again on Monday) to get out of the bracket and reach the championship game.
“Friday was just one of those days, but it was good to see them come back,” Malani said. “Our bracket is the (tough) one. I still think we have what it takes.”
Seniors softball
Gold Coast continued its winning ways at the Little League Western Regionals in Missoula, Montana on Saturday with a pair of victories in ages 15-16. Gold Coast opened the day with a 22-3 pounding of Oregon (Oregon-California Little League), followed up by a 5-2 win over Arizona (Superior Little League).
In the opening game, Kailia Tabiolo-Amaral and Taylor Tabucbuc combined to allow three runs of three hits in five total innings of work. Only one of the runs was earned.
Teizha Kaluna led the offense, going 4-for-4 with five runs and three RBIs. Kaimana-Joy Manzano picked up three. With a double and a triple, Manzano knocked in four runs and scored twice.
Shaylee Alani and Tabiolo-Amaral had two hits apiece. Alani had a home run with four RBIs and two runs scored.
Gold Coast scored 12 runs in the fourth inning to put the game away early.
In the second game, Gold Coast had a slim one-run lead over Arizona heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, but managed to push two more runs across the plate to widen the gap.
Antoinette Fernandez threw all seven innings, allowing two runs, one earned, off three hits, while striking out six and walking one.
Hits were harder to come by in the game but Breianna McLeod and Kiera Javillonar managed two apiece. Javillonar had the only extra base hit of the game, a double to center in the bottom of the third that gave Gold Coast a 3-2 advantage. She also knocked in a run in the first inning.
Gold Coast will take on Northern California (Antioch Little League, District 4) and Southern California (Southwestern Little League) Sunday.
Majors softball
Gold Coast rebounded from an opening day loss with a victory on the second day of the Little League Softball West Regional Tournament in San Bernardino, Calif.. Gold Cost cruised pat Idaho (Lewiston Little League) 9-1 in a six-inning, mercy ruled game in ages 11-12.
Taking advantage of five Idaho errors, Gold Coast pounced early, scoring all their runs in the first three innings. Hawaii was out-hit by Idaho, 5-4, but the hits came when it mattered most.
Johnna Lorenzo and Naomi Spencer knocked in two runs each. Spencer’s two RBIs came in the bottom of the third inning off a triple down the left field line. Lorenzo had a two-RBI single to right later in the inning.
Tehani Epenesa threw all six innings to pick up the win inside the circle. She allowed one unearned run, while striking out eight. She did not walk a single batter, throwing 47 strikes in 58 pitches.
Gold Coast is off today, but will play Southern California (Burbank Little League) on Monday.
Major baseball
West Side was eliminated from the state Little League tournament (ages 11-12), losing 24-3 to Honolulu.
On Friday, West Side was edged 14-13 by Maui.