KAPA‘A — The Kawaihau Majors All-Stars persevered through an overnight break-in and theft of food concession material and a prolonged rain delay on Monday to celebrate the Hawai‘i Little League District 1 championship at Kawaihau LL Main Diamond in the Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex.
“They stole candy from the kids,” said the tournament’s umpire coordinator, and chief umpire for the championship game Kennison Nagahisa, who is also a lieutenant with the Kaua‘i Police Department. “This is the second time vandals did something that impacts the kids.”
The first incident took place on May 31 when vandals broke into the Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex and set fire to the Kapa‘a Pop Warner Association storage facility located inside the park, destroying equipment the youths require to participate in the Kaua‘i Pop Warner Football League tackle football and cheer programs.
Tournament play was interrupted by a mid-morning squall that forced the umpires to pull the players into their respective dugouts, and play did not resume until the field was deemed safe enough to play.
Up 4-3 in the fifth inning, Kawaihau capitalized on the Kaneohe pitching to push three runs across the plate on walks issued by the Kaneohe pitching staff for the final 7-4 scoreboard reading.
Kaneohe opened the contest with three runs in the second inning that was answered by Kawaihau in the third frame with a three-run triple off Cannon Dela Cruz’s bat put Kawaihau up 4-3.
Kaneohe’s last gasp came in the sixth inning when Ethan Higa plated the last run.
With the District 1 pennant in its dugout, Kawaihau Majors All-Stars advance to the Hawai‘i Little League State Tournament, which will be contested in Waialua, O‘ahu. A win in Waialua will take the tournament winners to the regional competition in Arizona, a step away from the Little League World Series.
The Kawaihau Community Little League will host two more state tournaments starting July 7.
The Intermediate 50/70s tournament, last played in Hawai‘i about five years ago for players 12 and 13 years old, will take the Pony Baseball field in the Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex.
The Seniors tournament, for youngsters 15 and 16 years old, will play at the Ron Martin baseball field at the Kapa‘a High School campus.
