With a second win in his pocket and two days off ahead in Southern California, Hilo baseball coach Baba Lancaster vowed to keep matters strictly all business. ADVERTISING With a second win in his pocket and two days off ahead
With a second win in his pocket and two days off ahead in Southern California, Hilo baseball coach Baba Lancaster vowed to keep matters strictly all business.
No Disneyland, no fun parks, not even a dip in the pool.
“No attractions,” he said.
With power arms and power bats, his 11- and-12-year-old Little Leaguers are starting to become the attraction – tune into ESPN on Thursday afternoon to see more.
Joshua Ward, Kaynan Kaku, Wailele Kane-Yates and the rest of the rock-‘em-sock-‘em Hilo All-Stars stormed back Tuesday with a 10-run fifth inning and dumped Dixie, Utah, 14-5 in San Bernardino to reach the West Regional semifinals, where a national TV audience awaits.
“I told them we’re not even swimming,” Lancaster said. “They can do that when we win.”
In addition to practice and family time, Hilo’s players have an afternoon of ESPN interviews planned ahead of their 3 p.m. semifinal Thursday against Santa Margarita, Calif., the other 2-0 team in the six-team field that is just two wins from the World Series. The other four teams are 0-1.
For the second consecutive game, Hilo played from behind.
It hadn’t reached base and trailed 5-0 before Xaige Lancaster hit a solo shot to center to lead of the fourth inning and Ward followed with a rocket to deep center for a two-run home run off an 0-2 pitch. Kaku’s three-run double snapped a tie in the fifth as Hilo sent 16 batters to the plate to break the game open.
“I told the kids that in the first three innings we were being to aggressive and were making the pitcher look good,” Baba Lancaster said. “We just had to start taking a few pitches, and from there it was just a matter of time.”
Kane-Yates pitched four sparkling innings of relief, striking out 10 and allowing just three hits and an unearned run with two walks. Kane-Yates, also a shortstop, threw 72 pitches, making him ineligible to pitch again until Saturday, the day of the title game.
Along with being his team’s best power hitter, Ward also doubles as Hilo’s No. 2 pitcher, and he’ll be fully rested Thursday to face Santa Margarita, which beat Northern California 3-2 on Monday.
“They are pretty good,” Lancaster said, “you have to be to get here.
“But they’ve burned more pitchers than I have, so I like where we are.”
The loser of Thursday’s semifinal will have another chance Friday to reach the title game – and burn more pitchers.
Trailing 5-4 entering the fifth, Gunner Riley walked and eventually scored on Mana Kuamoo’s single, then Kane-Yates walked and Ward reached on a fielder’s choice ahead of Kaku’s bases-clearing line drive to left.
Devin Garza drove in a run with a hit, and batting for a second time in the inning Riley produced an RBI single ahead of Kane-Yates’ two-run hit to center, then Kaku drew a bases-loaded walk for his fourth RBI.
In all, nine Hilo players amassed hit – two for Kane-Yates.
Hilo starter Tyler Halemanu left after surrendering a home run to Utah’s Matt McArthur to begin the third, yielding five hits and four runs (two earned) with three strikeouts.
“I never had a doubt in my mind that we weren’t going to come back,” Lancaster said. “We just have to wake up our bats sooner.”
Utah 302 000 – 5 8 5
Hilo 000 4(10)0 –14 10 2
