By MATT GERHART
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Because of their pedigree, this year’s version of the Hilo Bronco All-Stars doesn’t figure to match the raw power of their past three predecessors. Each thoroughly overwhelmed the competition in winning state PONY baseball titles.
Hilo Royal’s players weren’t on the team that claimed the regular-season title, but many were placed on the ‘A’ all-stars because players on the winning club decided to head elsewhere. Hilo Royal also didn’t get a bye to states this season as the past three All-Star teams did, since Hilo isn’t hosting this year.
Undeterred, coach Ronald Auwae told his players to approach sectionals as a tremendous opportunity to step up.
Dallas Kaili did that just, and he did so swinging a mighty bat Sunday that would have made any Broncos state champ proud, accounting for all his team’s runs with a grand slam and a solo home run as Hilo held on to edge West Hawaii 5-4 to win the island championship for ages 11-12 at Walter Victor Complex.
Both squads advance to the state tournament, set for June 24-28 in Lihue. Later, West Hawaii ripped Hilo ‘B’ 35-0.
“Dallas took big advantage of the situation,” Auwae said.
He was the coach this season only because Shon Malani’s 11-12 team, with two state PONY titles already to its credit in younger divisions, opted to travel to Cooperstown, N.Y., for a tournament.
“Dallas might not have been on the team if not for that,” Auwae said.
Makakoa Auwae pitched the last 10 innings of the tournament for Hilo, earning both wins against West Hawaii. He won in relief Saturday with three scoreless innings, and he followed that up with a complete game Sunday, striking out six.
Quentin Hook launched a three-run home run for West Hawaii, which dropped its second one-run game to Hilo in its whirlwind tournament. Elisha Martin had two hits.
Making up for what his father noted as a forgettable day at the plate, Auwae made pitches when he needed to, inducing a groundball in the seventh with two runners on that turned into an unorthodox game-ending double play.
“I told him this is the best thing I’m going to get out of you today,” said Ronald Auwae, recalling one of his many visits to the mound to talk to his pitcher. “You can’t swing the bat, but you can pitch.
“He was efficient, and our defense has gotten a lot better.”
Kaili was the only Hilo player to solve Jonah Reich, who struck out eight in a complete game. Reich appeared to get stronger as he went on, fanning two in each of the last three innings.
That almost allowed West Hawaii to rally back.
Kawananakoa Soares’ RBI groundout cut Hilo’s lead to 5-4 in the fifth, but Auwae’s strikeout stranded two runners. West Hawaii put runners on first and second in the seventh, but second baseman Kawehi Ili fielded a grounder to get the second out, and Hilo alertly caught a runner straying off third to end the game.
“They showed resiliency,” Ronald Auwae said.
West Hawaii onslaught
Despite playing in its fifth game in two days, Kallen Hiraishi’s Lil Soljahs rebounded against Hilo ‘B,’ scoring 16 runs in the first inning to produce an eye-popping football-like score, adding eight in the second, four apiece in the third and fourth and two in the fifth.
“They were upset with the loss to Hilo A,” Hiraishi said. “Don’t get me wrong, Hilo is a very good team, but I felt we could have beat them.”
In the rout, James Kapela, Evan Elarionoff, Hook, Ioane Kaaekuahiwi, Soares, Jayla Medeiros and Kethan Fujihara each had multiple hits.
Due to a quirk in the schedule, West Hawaii played in all five games in the sectional, three more than Hilo “A.”
“These kids are done,” Hiraishi said. “It was strange, but we told the kids whatever comes to us, we’ll just play and show heart.”
Mustangs
The Hilo All-Stars cruised to the ages 9-10 sectional title with a 9-1 victory against Kona’s Lil Soljahs, claiming the lone state berth on Kauai
Elijah Okano was just a triple short of the cycle, finishing 4 for 4 with a home run and an RBI double. Journey Leialoha hit a two-run home run, and Noah Palea pitched three scoreless innings for Hilo, which outscored its competition 36-4 in three games.
Earlier, Kona advanced by beating Hilo ‘B’ 13-6.
