By BILL O’REAR
Tribune-Herald sports editor
DeAndre Simpson pitched a four-hit shutout to lead Southern California to a 6-0 win over Hilo in the Little League Seniors Western Regional baseball tournament championship game Tuesday in Ontario, Calif.
Southern Cal (5-1) avenged a 6-3 loss in pool play to defending Western Regional and World Series champion Hilo, which also finished 5-1 in the nine-team tournament for players ages 15-17.
Southern Cal will represent the Western Region in the Seniors World Series, Aug. 11-18, in Bangor, Maine.
Simpson, a hard-throwing right-hander, struck out five and walked one in going the seven-inning distance.
“Their pitcher really throws hard,” Hilo assistant coach Clayton Ah Hee said. “He threw a lot of strikes today and used his off-speed stuff to set up his fastball. He’s a really good pitcher and Southern Cal was saving him until the championship game.”
Simpson earned the win while Hilo starter Kihei Serrao took the loss despite pitching well into the fifth inning.
Serrao allowed two runs on two hits while striking out two and walking two.
“Kihei pitched well, it was 0-0 up until the fifth inning,” Ah Hee said. “It was a good game and they just took advantage of some breaks and an error to take the big lead. But our boys don’t have anything to feel bad about — they gave it everything they had all the way through the tournament.
“I’m so proud of these kids for how they played and how they approached everything. They listened to the coaches, stuck to the curfews — they’re a wonderful team to work with, a good bunch of kids. I love them and how they tried to always do things the right way.”
When Serrao ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth, Hilo manager Zackery Higa brought in Alika Guillermo and he pitched two-thirds of an inning, allowing two runs. Elijah Cruz then came on to finish out the inning, giving up two more runs.
Both teams had four hits apiece, but the one big Southern Cal inning turned the game around.
“Our kids played their hearts out,” Higa said. “It’s just the one bad inning with a couple of bad calls and an error, and it got away from us.
“Our kids can beat these mainland teams, but they’ve got to hit the ball. Today with the umpiring, the kids felt like they had two strikes on them every time they went to the plate. Our kids can hit the fastball pitchers, but if they throw a bad pitch, our kids aren’t going to swing at it. Today, they were calling some of those bad pitches strikes and it affected our kids.”
Ryan Torres-Torioka led Hilo with two hits in three at bats. Chay Toson and Bronson Pulgados each added a single against the gritty Simpson.
Ray Peterson led Southern Cal, going 2 for 3 with a double and two runs batted in. Simpson added a single and an RBI.
“My hat’s off to our kids, they did a helluva of job,” Higa said. “They played with all of their hearts and never quit. We’re really proud of their efforts.”
Higa also praised last year’s Hilo All-Stars manager, Kaha Wong, for being at Tuesday’s title game and supporting the Big Island team.
“Kaha’s my mentor, I’ve learned a lot from him over the years,” Higa said. “It was good to have him here today, but I understand what he has gone through all these years in playing up here. The mainland teams have a big advantage and with the way the umpires call it, it’s hard to win.”
Wong led Hilo to the Western Regional and World Series titles last summer with an outstanding squad, led by Quintin Torres-Costa and Kean Wong. Higa had only two members returning from that talented team but still advanced all the way to the Western Regional championship game.
In Monday’s semifinals, Southern California edged Northern California 3-2 and Hilo topped Oregon 17-3.
Earlier in the tournament’s Pool B action, Hilo defeated Nevada 13-3, Montana 10-0, Arizona 9-7 and Southern California 6-3.
Members of the Hilo All-Stars include Alika Guillermo, Chay Toson, Kupono Decker, Micah Ka’aukai, Kobi Candaroma, Bronson Pulgados, Ryan Torres-Torioka, Chad Teshima, Makoa Rosario, Tyler Higa-Gonsalves, Kihei Serrao, Elijah Cruz, Tyler Thornley, Evyn Yamaguchi and Austin Ah Hee. Zackery Higa is the manager with assistant coaches Clayton Ah Hee and Gadi Pulgados.
Returning tonight
The Hilo All-Stars will leave Los Angeles this afternoon on United Airlines flight 1004 and arrive at Hilo Airport at 7:54 p.m. this evening.
Hilo 000 000 0 — 0 4 1
So. Cal 000 060 x — 6 4 1
RBI World Series
Hilo opened the 2012 RBI Softball World Series with two losses in pool play Tuesday in Minnesota.
The Big Islanders, under manager James Hirayama, fell to Hoboken, N.J. 4-2 in their opener and were no-hit in Game 2 by Harrisburg, Pa. No information on the games was reported before the T-H deadline Tuesday night.
Hilo, representing the Boys & Girls Club of the Big Island, captured the West Regional title last month in Anaheim, Calif. to earn a berth in the RBI World Series. The eight-team tournament runs through Aug. 12 at the University of Minnesota Softball Complex in the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.
Hilo is part of the American League Central Pool, along with East champion Cleveland, Mid-Atlantic champion Harrisburg, Pa., and Northeast champion Hoboken, N.J. In the National League Central Pool are Southeast champion Atlanta, Caribbean champion Dominican Republic, Southwest champion Houston and Central champion Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club.
Hilo has a bye today and plays two games hursday: 3 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time vs. Cleveland and 6:15 a.m. vs. Hoboken.
The teams will be seeded by order of finish in pool play and start the single-elimination interleague playoffs on Aug. 11. The winners advance to the semifinals and the championship game will be played at 8 a.m. Aug. 12 and televised on the MLB Network.
Regional champions
Members of the West Regional champion Hilo All-Stars include Bethany Batangan, Stacie Doi, Gayla Ha-Cabebe, Shaniya Kamakea-Wong, Chelsea Camello, Jordyn Waracka, Skylar Thomas, Camille Kiyota, Skyler Agrigado, Ciana Matsuoka, Chelsea Requelman, manager James Hirayama, coaches Tracy Miyashiro, Solomon Thomas, Fred Entilla and Craig Camello, and team coordinator Agnes Yamauchi.
