Honolulu repeats as West Region champs
SAN BERNARDINO >> It's been almost 30 years since there was a back-to-back champion at the Little League Western Regional headquarters.
Led by fire-balling righthander Jaron Lancaster, Honolulu Little League is returning to the Little League World Series after a 9-2 victory over Arizona on Friday night in the Little League West Region championship game.
“It feels great, but now I'm looking forward to winning the whole thing,” said Lancaster (2-0), who finished with tournament-high 19 strikeouts in two starts.
Honolulu Little League, the 2021 West Region winner, won all three games to sweep its way to its second consecutive title. Long Beach LL (1993-'94) was the last team to win backto-back tournaments in San Bernardino.
The West Region title is the second for Hawaii manager Gerald Oda's at Al Houghton Stadium.
“I'm just very honored and humbled to be here,” Oda said. “Honolulu is a great Little League but on Hawaii there's a lot of great baseball, whether it's Kauai, Maui or the Big Island.”
Lancaster struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings as
Hawaii's 11- and 12-yearold state champions earned their spot at the Little League World Series beginning next week in Williamsport, Pa.
“We're very fortunate to be a part of these kids' lives and it's almost unbelievable that we get to extend this journey,” said Oda, who coached Hawaii at the 2018 Little League World Series.
Kekoa Payanal led off the game with a home run as Hawaii totaled a tournament-high 25 runs.
“I saw a fastball to get us on the board and give us an early lead,” said Payanal, a two-time champion for Honolulu LL in back-to-back West Region tournaments.
“I'm just hoping the bring this team the `W' in Williamsport.”
Hawaii took a commanding lead off Arizona starter Erik Lopez in the second inning with six runs on four hits, three walks and two wild pitches for a 7-0 lead.
J.J. Silva, who went 4 for 4 in the West Region semifinal win over Northern California, stroked a solo home run to left field to get Arizona on the scoreboard in the third inning, but Sidewinder Little League was unable to get much going off Lancaster.
“(Lancaster) is one of the best pitchers in the world and we competed hard against him,” Arizona manager Troy Silva said.
Brennan Tomas homered for Hawaii in the bottom of the third, and Payanal doubled and scored for a 9-1 lead. Payanal reached base four times and scored three runs in the win.
Lancaster doubled and scored in three plate appearances, and Kama Angell had two hits and scored a run for Hawaii, which never trailed in the tournament.
Jonah Hargrave reached on fielder's choice and scored on an error for Arizona's final run in the sixth. The Peoria, Ariz.-based Little League rebounded from losing on the tournament's opening day to reach the tournament final.