The Hilo Junior RBI baseball team was eliminated Friday in the quarterfinals of the RBI World Series at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla., with a team representing the Chicago White Sox winning the title on Saturday.
The Hilo team, ages 13-15, were eliminated by the Chicago Cubs, 5-4.
Hilo was up 3-0 after 2 1/2 innings but the Cubs roared back and were up 4-3 after five innings.
In the top of the seventh and final stanza, Gavin Nishida hit an RBI single to score Kaleb Wada, making it 4-4 with the tying run.
The Cubs won the game in the bottom of the inning, however, with a walk-off RBI single.
Jarren Sakamoto started, and pitched 4 2/3 innings, striking out two, walking five, and surrendering four runs, but only two of them earned. Wada closed, pitching 1 2/3 inning, and tagged with the loss after giving up the winning run.
Wada went 2-for-3 at the plate, knocking in a run and scoring another. Braden Gomes also went 2-for-3 and scored a run.
The Hilo team advanced to the quarterfinals after going 2-1 in pool play.
The local boys opened the tournament by winning a war of attrition over the Atlanta Braves, 9-8 on Tuesday.
Noah Palea started and pitched 1 2/3 innings, giving up two runs, one earned, striking out two and surrendering two hits. Three others pitched in relief, with Wada picking up the win after going the final 2 2/3 innings.
Hilo scored nine runs after two were retired in the top of the third. Kaleb Wada swatted a two-run double, Teysen Tamiya and Gomes hit RBI singles and two more runs were scored on bases-loaded walks.
Hilo shut out New Orleans, 7-0, in the second game of pool play on Wednesday.
The Big Islanders scored five runs in the third inning, highlighted by Jarren Sakamoto’s two-run double.
Wada went 4-for-4 with a double, a run scored and two knocked in.
Gomes also walked and scored twice.
Hilo’s only loss in pool play came Friday, 13-5 at the hands of the eventual champion White Sox.
Gomes went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs. Keagan Pacheco got a hit in his only official at bat, but knocked in a run and scored two.
