A good portion of the Hilo All-Stars played for B-Pono during the regular season, some are from the Wreckers, while Keaukaha, the Bulldogs and RBI have representation as well.
A few have played at state tournaments before, though most of the others are gearing up for their first trip.
They all can hit.
Hilo sprayed the ball at Walter Victor complex like it’s accustomed to Monday to the tune of 16 hits, including home runs by Ryder Carenio and Ivor Brooks, capturing the Little Little Majors district title with a 14-4 victory against West Side.
“So far, for five different teams, the camaraderie and the bond is real close,” coach Baba Lancaster said. “I try to explain to them from the beginning that I’m a very family-oriented guy. I want everyone to become part of a small family.”
Carenio tossed four hitless inning in Saturday’s win against West Side, but he did his damage with his bat in the title game for ages 12 and under, cranking a two-run homer in the first inning and a two-run double in the fifth. Brooks, the leadoff hitter, doubled and scored in the first, hit a solo shot in the second and added a run-scoring single in going 4 for 4.
“This is about time we started hitting,” Lancaster said. “I told the guys for the first two games we didn’t hit as a team like we normally do.
“That first inning, they came out with a bang.”
Hilo will try to defend it state title on Maui in a tournament that starts July 20. Lancaster returned two players from the 2017 team that won its first two games at the Western Regional in California and then played two games televised on ESPN before being eliminated.
Just in case the All-Stars forgot what their goal was this summer, Lancaster put up a poster of last year’s squad by Hilo’s batting cage.
“I felt a little bit of pressure, because this is my first year on the team and my first year of Little League,” Carenio said. “I just really wanted to win.”
With West Side answering Hilo’ four-run first with three runs of its own, the game looked destined for a slugfest until Legend Lancaster came on in relief and tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings.
Hilo, meanwhile, bunched together at least three hits in every at-bat but one in the five-inning TKO.
“I just relaxed today and hit the ball nice and easy,” Carenio said.
That feeling was contagious.
McKenna Wakakuwa connected for an RBI triple and a run-scoring single and Noah Palea had two hits and two RBIs.
Facing that stacked lineup, West Side starter Trez Uemoto battled into the fifth. Taking over for starter Shane Sale-Silva, Lancaster allowed only one hit with three strikeouts and no walks.
In the bottom of the first, West Side’s first batters reached on two hit by pitches and two walks to bring home a run, and Kingston Lee and Keoki Alani plated two more with singles. Lee also had a sacrifice fly.