Get them on, get them over, get them in – the Hilo Bronco 11s found their winning formula on Friday.
Keamalu Baclig and Carson Kawaguchi each pitched three solid innings and Hilo’s small-ball approach did the rest. It bunted for four of its 14 base hits, beating Washington 12-3 in a PONY League West regional elimination game in Walnut, Calif.
“We went back to playing the kind of game we’re accustomed to,” coach Shon Malani said. “Working the count in our favor, getting runners on, playing hit-and-run.”
Malani said Hilo consistently got the leadoff hitter on, something it couldn’t do Thursday in a 9-6 loss to San Francisco.
“That’s our game,” he said. “We manufacture runs.
“The boys seemed a lot more comfortable.”
Baclig, Kawaguchi, Dallas Kaili and Kawehi Ili each had two hits for Hilo.
Hilo will match up with San Francisco again at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, and the winner plays again at 2:30 p.m. against a Southern California team which already owns wins against Hilo and San Francisco – the other two teams alive in its side of the bracket in the eight-team regional.
“From what I’ve seen, our bracket is stronger,” Malani said. “The winner of our bracket will be the one.”
Kaili pitched the seventh, leaving Brock Malani well-rested to pitch Saturday.
“Our pitching lineup is set,” Malani said. “We’ll just let the chips fall where they may.”
Pony 13s
It could have been called a home run, but it was ruled a ground-rule double.
Either way, coach Bully Ahuna was glad to welcome Stone Miyao back in the fold.
Miyao drove in four runs as Hilo took down the top-ranked team on its side of the bracket, Riverside, 8-5 to open its West regional in Whittier, Calif.
“(Riverside) was really good,” Ahuna said.
Miyao missed Hilo’s state tournament triumph to play with a Big Island team that won a title at the Firecracker Classic in California. He not only delivered three hits – including a double Ahuna thought was a home run – but he also played shortstop and solidified his team’s defense in back of Khaden Victorino, who pitched a complete game.
Devin Midel and Maui Ahuna each finished with two hits for Hilo, which faces Scottsdale, Ariz., at 11 a.m. Saturday.
“I feel very confident with where we are,” Bully Ahuna said.
Little League
Hilo pitchers might want to work carefully against Kaneohe, Oahu, especially when facing Jason Cruz.
Cruz hit two of his team’s four home runs Friday in Waimea as Kaneohe held off Maui 9-8 in the opening game of the state Little Little League tournament for ages 11-12.
Brada Cabinitan-Clemente and Ian Ishibashi also homered for Kaneohe, which will face Hilo at 11 a.m. Saturday.
“We are just trying to hit the ball hard, and we got a few that can hit the ball out,” coach Ikaika Du-Pont said. “Jason has been hitting that way the whole season.”
Tiger Yonamine got the win, while Jarrett Harper took the loss.
Cruz drove in four runs and Cabinitan-Clemente finished with three RBIs. The Kaneohe All-Stars led 9-3 before Maui almost came all the way back.
“The coaches of the four teams in our league did a great job,” Du-Pont said. “By the time we got the kids they were already well-coached.”
In the second game, Vincent Ogasawara outdueled Randy Wong as Waipio, Oahu, beat Honolulu 2-0.
Louis Holt drove in a run and Cayden Okada doubled for Waipio, which gets a day off before facing the Kaneohe-Hilo winner on Sunday.
“(Wong) did really well and made us work,” Waipio coach Ray Motta said. “We had to manufacture our runs.
“I like the way our guys work together and play as a team.”