Allowing 11 runs is usually not a recipe for pitching success, but Hilo coach Gregg Hirata will take it.
He’s seen firsthand what North Hawaii’s batters are capable of.
“They are a great hitting team,” Hirata said.
Officially, the team name is West Hawaii Island, but make no mistake, coach Andrew Akau said, the players and coaches represent North Hawaii through and through, and its PONY Baseball Bronco all-Stars played home derby Saturday in almost sweeping Hilo at an ages 11-12 sectional at Waimea Baseball Field.
Elijah Scadina and Logan Neves each hit two-run homers and Lopaka Akau launched a three-run home run in the opener, a 16-3 North Hawaii runaway.
Hirata credited pitchers Hekili Robello, Sal Martino and Jacob Gomes – the trio combined for nine strikeouts – with stemming the tide in the second game, which Hilo came back from a six-run deficit to win in a nail-biter 12-11, forcing a decisive Game 3 at 11:30 a.m. Sunday in Waimea.
“We expected them to be good,” Hirata said. “Hopefully our pitchers can hold them down tomorrow. I expect a really close game.”
Both coaches said their pitching staffs were intact for the decisive game.
“I told the boys to come back tomorrow and be ready to battle,” Akau said.
After collecting 17 hits in Game 1, North Hawaii clubbed two more home runs in the second game: Braeden Samura went deep a with runner aboard and Micah Reyes hit a solo shot.
“We practiced so hard all week and you could see it in the way were hitting,” Akau said.
“In the second game, we had a couple of errors,” he said.
Hilo responded with a power display of its own in the second game, cranking out 11 hits, highlighted by Gomes’ three-run home run. Elijah Igawa also went deep. Hilo scored seven run in the fourth to take the lead 10-9 and remain alive.
Scadina pitched four strong innings in the first game, then Samura started and worked 4 1/3 in Game 2.
Both teams feature players with championship pedigrees as members of state Mustang 9s titles in 2013 (Hilo) and 2014 (Lil Soljahs). Sunday’s winner advances to state Bronco tournament, to be held June 23-27 on Oahu.
