LIHU‘E — Keanu Camaliri came up with a big RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning to propel the Kaua‘i Protect Our Nation’s Youth Mustang Lihu‘e All-Stars to a 7-6 win over West Kaua‘i, Wednesday at the Lihu‘e County Park.
The shot to right field sent Dusten Ramseyer-Burdett across the plate to break a 6-6 deadlock with no outs. Earlier, Ramseyer-Burdett skied a Texas Leaguer and pushed for extra bases on the play, settling at third base, poised for Camaliri’s bat.
But unlike Monday’s opener of the best-of-three series, West Kaua‘i came to play, building up a 5-1 lead on four hits and capitalizing on two Lihu‘e miscues.
This was the hole Lihu‘e had to climb out of for its seventh consecutive Mustang All-Star title, chipping away with two runs in the bottom of the second frame, adding another two runs in the third and a run in the fifth and sixth frames for the comeback.
Overall, Lihu‘e finished with nine hits including a Chase Ibia solo home run in the first inning, and two singles in the bottom of the sixth.
West Kaua‘i bats produced four big hits for its six runs, capitalizing on three Lihu‘e errors.
Kai Boy Perreira-Alquiza lost little time getting West Kaua‘i ignited, jumping on a single in the first inning and scoring on a Charlie Lopez RBI single to leftfield with two outs.
But Lihu‘e answered when Ibia was all over the first West Kaua‘i pitch for a singing home run to deep right field to knot the contest, 1-1.
West Kaua‘i struck again in the second inning when Kody Gardner singled to open the frame. With one away, Noah Bermudez walked, setting the stage for Pele Kamala’s two-RBI single, scoring Gardner and Bermudez.
Perreira-Alquiza singled and Kela Aquino came up with an RBI on a bunt single to score Kamala, forcing a pitching change for Lihu‘e. Aka Wisneski marked an RBI by pushing Perreira-Alquiza home to give West Kaua‘i a 5-1 lead.
Lihu‘e answered when Tayedyn Francisco singled and scored on a Jance Medeiros RBI triple to right field. Medeiros then scored on a passed ball following a West Kaua‘i pitching change with one out, drawing to a 5-3 deficit.
West Kaua‘i answered again, Gardner drawing first on a Lihu‘e error, its third in the game, and scoring off Bermudez’s RBI single to left field.
Lihu‘e pulled to within a run in the bottom of the third on three hits as Aaron Renaud came up with and infield single to open the inning, getting Micah Efhan to pinch run.
With two outs, Medeiros struck with an RBI single to score Efhan, followed by Brenden Costa-Perreira driving Medeiros home on an RBI single for the 6-5 deficit.
Following a nice double-play to get out of the fifth inning, Lihu‘e and West Kaua‘i ignited the crowd when Renaud reached on a West Kaua‘i error, but was cut down on a rundown between third and home for the first out.
In the confusion, Lihu‘e base runners scrambled and West Kaua‘i almost pulled off a double-play, throwing to third as base runner Matthew Panit, walking first, beat out the play in a cloud of dust peppered by excited West Kaua‘i fans on the third-base line as Francisco advanced to second.
Medeiros marked another RBI, pushing Panit across the plate for the 6-6 deadlock.
Following Ibia’s home run, Ramseyer-Burdett finished 2 for 3. Camaliri was 2 for 4 with the game-winning single to lead the Lihu‘e bats.
Perreira-Alquiza, in addition to closing on the mound for West Kaua‘i, finished with two singles. Gardner and Bermudez also singled for the purpleshirts who put up a great fight to the end.
With the win, the PONY Lihu‘e Mustang All Stars advance to Hilo to compete in the State PONY Region Tournament, June 25-29.
