Photography by Rick Ogata, Story by Miranda Ogata/Special to Hawaii247.org

Central Maui   0  1  0  0  0  1  0  --  2
        Hilo   0  0  0  1  0  1  1  --  3

As all the great baseball games are, Sunday’s (July 19) Senior Little League State Championship game was a real nail-biter, coming down to the bottom of the final inning to determine the winner. Central Maui got in the first run, with Brandon Kaupe hitting a solo home run off Hilo’s starting pitcher Bradley Waiki in the top of the second inning. It was the second home run that Kaupe hit in the State Tournament. Hilo answered with a run in the fourth inning and tied the game at one run each.

Both teams scored in the sixth inning, with Central Maui’s Nathan Clarke hitting the second home run of the game and Hilo answering immediately with run of their own in the bottom of the inning.

Hilo’s Ridge Hoopii-Hau shifted from short stop to relief pitcher in the top of the sixth inning and got the win, when he brought in the winning run for Hilo in the bottom of the seventh inning. Hoopii-Hau managed to reach base each of the four times he went to bat, twice on Central Maui errors and twice on hits.

Hilo continues on in the Senior Little League post-season and meets the team from Oregon on August 4, in Ontario, CA. The schedule for the Western Regional Tournament is located at www.littleleague.org/series/2009divisions/slbb/qualify/uswest.htm, with the Senior League Baseball World Series scheduled for Aug. 16-22. The full schedule is at www.littleleague.org.

Photography and story by Rick Ogata/Special to Hawaii247.org

Hilo rained on the baseball diamond, and it wasn’t just from the skies. In the feature game at the Senior Little League Tournament, Hilo’s bats rained hit after hit against the visitors from Central Maui. After a scoreless first inning, Hilo started its scoring in the bottom of the second with two runs. Hilo continued scoring by plating four runs in the third inning and seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Hilo starter Bradley Waiki got the shutout win with relief help in the fifth inning. The game was ended at the top of the fifth inning due to a ten run mercy ruling. Hilo won the game 13-0 over Maui.

Games will continue on Saturday with the Championship Game 10:00 a.m. on Sunday at the Walter Victor Stadium.

Central Maui   0  0  0  0  0 -- 0
        Hilo   0  2  4  7  X -- 13