KAPAA — The Waipio Minors kicked up three runs on three hits in the fourth inning to clinch the Minors title Tuesday. Fueled by two hits and two scores from Vincent Ogasawara, the Waipio Minors captured the 2013 Hawaii Little
KAPAA — The Waipio Minors kicked up three runs on three hits in the fourth inning to clinch the Minors title Tuesday.
Fueled by two hits and two scores from Vincent Ogasawara, the Waipio Minors captured the 2013 Hawaii Little League Minor title behind seven hits in its 7-5 win against the tenacious Kihei Minors at the Kawaihau Community Little League Main Diamond.
If Kihei had pulled off a win, another game would have been played Wednesday.
But Waipio, rolling to a 23-0 win over Kona Coast Little League during the opening day of the tournament Friday, came back on Sunday for a 16-2 win over Kaneohe Maroon to advance to the Tuesday title matchup.
“They had a pretty easy time up to the championship game,” said Doug Fujii, the grandfather of Waipio catcher Alexander Armenti. “With the win over Kihei, they go home undefeated.”
Kihei Minors, on the other hand, clawed its way to the title game after dropping a 4-5 heartbreaker to Aiea on Friday.
Climbing up the losers bracket, Kihei eliminated Kona Coast LL Saturday with a 15-4 win.
The win put the Kihei squad in an encore meeting with Aiea, this time, Kihei coming out on top with a 5-4 win Sunday and eliminating the Oahu team.
Facing the Kaneohe Maroon Monday during the semifinals, Kihei roared to a 13-6 win to eliminate the District 1 champions and face Waipio for the title.
Waipio jumped to a quick 2-0 lead on one hit in the opening frame as leadoff hitter Mitchell Waikiki singled, and scored when Cayden Okada moved to second base on a Kihei miscue. Okada, advancing to third on a wild pitch, crossed on Waipio’s second out when Trey Apana-Purcell was taken out on an unassisted play by Kihei’s Matthew Hirose.
Kihei promptly answered, pushing two runs on three hits and one Waipio error in the bottom of the frame.
Jaden Collins opened with a double followed by Kihei left-handed pitcher Bode Woodward driving Collins home. Woodward scored on a William Gleed RBI single to tie the contest with no outs.
The Waipio defense stiffened and following a pitcher-first base putout, Waipio recorded a double play, the front end taking out the base runner at home.
Waipio broke the 2-2 deadlock in the second inning when Vincent Ogasawara singled and scored on a Brock Yasahiro RBI single as the Oahu team pushed one run on three hits to move ahead.
Waipio stayed ahead for the remainder of the game, despite a concerted effort by Kihei who added two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth in an effort that fell short.
Trailing 6-2 in the fifth, Jaden Collins tripled to rightfield and scored when William Gleed got aboard on a Waipio miscue with one away.
Okada turned the ball over to Sage Manuel-Koahu after reaching his maximum pitch count with Okada moving over to first base.
Gleed scored on Joey Koch’s long ball, which was caught by the Waipio centerfielder.
Waipio answered with a run in the final inning when Jason Delgado singled and scored when Yasahiro’s ball was misplayed.
Kihei would not roll over, and battled back when Gregory Weiss singled.
With bases loaded, Weiss scored on a putout for the second out, with the tying run sitting at second base.
Instead, Waipio ended the contest when the Kihei batter was taken out unassisted by the second baseman for the 7-5 final.
Collins, described by Tournament Director Bob Kawamoto as a “big hitter,” topped the Kihei bats with two of the team’s six hits. The rightfielder ended with a double, triple and scored twice.
Gleed finished with two singles, Kobe Galinato doubled, Weiss singled and scored once to lead the offensive effort.
Ogasawara topped the Waipio hitting with two singles and scored twice. Catcher Armenti added two singles and scored once, Joshua Aribal singled and scored once, Koahu singled and scored once, and Waikiki singled and scored once.
For Kawamoto, a leader with the Hawaii Little League, there is no rest as he returns to a day of meetings and the start of the District playoffs on Oahu Friday.
• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
