It was a laugher, then it was tense, and then it was everything in between. ADVERTISING It was a laugher, then it was tense, and then it was everything in between. In the end, Hilo coach Shon Malani called hit-and-run,
It was a laugher, then it was tense, and then it was everything in between.
In the end, Hilo coach Shon Malani called hit-and-run, Carson Kawaguchi swung inside out and Dylan Honda scampered home.
“It worked,” Malani said.
It has before, and considering this group’s resume, it probably will again.
Kawaguchi’s two-out double in the bottom of the seventh Monday gave the Hilo Bronco 11s the state PONY League title with an 8-7 victory and a sweep of Mililani at Walter Victor Stadium.
“For some reason, the team chemistry and all the pieces worked,” Malani said. “To be honest, this is our first real state tournament, we didn’t know what our chances were.”
Hilo only entered the tournament because it was playing at home, and after an exhausting day that included 14 innings, 30 runs and too many emotion swings to count, the team’s second title in three seasons hit close to home.
Because of it, Kawaguchi’s grandmother has a smile and Keamalu Baclig’s grandmother will soon have a visitor.
Millie Kawaguchi of Hilo was ill and unable to attend the game, but she was going to hear all about it.
“I’m going to tell her I did it for you,” Kawaguchi said.
The Bronco 11s — many of the same players won the two-team state Mustang 9 title two years ago — advance to a Western regional that will be held July 23-26 in Walnut, Calif.
“I’ll get to see my mom, and Keamalu will get to see his grandma,” assistant coach Grant Baclig said. “She’s been stuck in California because of a cardiac issue.”
But few ohana are having a better time than the Hondas, who are quickly becoming the first family of Big Island baseball this week. Chris Honda will try to coach the Hilo Broncos to a state title Tuesday, but he was happy to be upstaged by his son Monday.
Dylan Honda, a left-hander, took a perfect game into the sixth inning in the first game, allowing only two hits as Hilo forced a winner-take-all in a 9-6 victory, and he reached on a one-out hit to start the winning rally in the seventh of the second game, and scored all the way fror first when Malani set him in motion.
“We know how to make plays,” Honda said.
And clutch ones at that.
Backed by Dallas Kaili’s two-run home run and Tobey Jackson’s RBI double, Hilo scored four runs in the first and sailed along as Kawaguchi, another left-hander, delivered five strong innings.
Shon Malani handed the ball to his son Brock, who had two homers at the tournament, but Hilo made an error to open the seventh and a four-run lead evaporated in a matter of minutes.
“I told the kids we’re going to walk this off,” Baclig said. “We’re going to get runners on base and walk this off.”
Honda and Kawaguchi believed him. It helps that the team has a core seven players that has been playing baseball together for the majority of their lives.
“We know how to have fun and play hard,” Kawaguchi said.
At its best in the seventh inning, Mililani came close to spoiling it.
It rallied for six runs in its final at-bat in the first game, and Jacob Villacorte almost tied the game with a deep fly to left field, but the ball found its way harmlessly into Honda’s glove.
It was fitting that Honda and Kawaguchi teamed together for the winning rally. Shon Malani turned to the left-handers during Hilo’s final three victories to turn back Windward and Mililani.
“I just knew I had to get a hit,” Honda said off his final one.
He wasn’t alone.
The other team members are Kedren Kinzie, Kawehi Ili, Spencer Yoshizumi, Seth Zane, Trenston Kepano, Malu Gacusana, Dylan Crum and assistant coach Keola McCallum.
