WILLIAMSPORT, PA. — Pitching and defense carried Honolulu Little League through a difficult West Regional to reach the 2025 Little League Baseball World Series in South Williamsport.
Those two staples did not hold up Friday night as a fifth inning highlighted by walks, a hit batter and a fielding error resulted in a 5-1 victory for Connecticut (Metro).
“We just came up short today,” Honolulu Manager Gerald Oda said. “It’s baseball. It’s life. You just must enjoy it and deal with it. All we can do is just move on.”
The loss drops Honolulu into the elimination bracket. They will face the winner of Mid-Atlantic (Glenmoore Eagle, Pa.) and Great Lakes (Clarendon Hills, Ill.), who play at 1 p.m. today. Honolulu will play Sunday at 7 a.m. on KITV.
Connecticut, which opened with a 1-0 win over Texas (Southwest) on Wednesday, will play unbeaten Sioux Falls (Midwest) on Monday.
Nursing a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth, Honolulu replaced starter Bronson Fermahin (one hit, three walks, eight strikeouts) with closer Mason Mitani. But Mitani, who saw relief innings in all three region wins, recording a win and two saves, struggled in the frame as Connecticut took advantage of the uncharacteristic mistakes.
Mitani walked Dante Madera to start the fifth after going ahead on a 1-2 count. After a strikeout, Boden Dunlop hit a single to put runners on first and second.
Mitani then struck out Colin Curley but walked Joe Sorrentino on five pitches to load the bases with two outs. Mitani had a 1-2 count on Brian Palazzolo, but the 10th batter in the lineup drew a six-pitch walk to tie the game. A fielding error at second scored two more for a 3-1 lead. Mitani then hit Logan Gryga, the 12th and last batter in the Connecticut lineup, to reload the bases, forcing a pitching change to Logan Brokaw. Luca Pellegrini laced an 0-2 pitch for a two-run double for a 5-1 lead. A flyout to second ended the frame.
“The top of the fifth was awesome,” Metro manager Brian Palazzolo said. “We always preached that we like to score runs in bunches. We have the capabilities to draw walks and get hits. We stick around.”
That ability to stick around has been a trademark of Honolulu Little League throughout its postseason run, but Friday night it was Metro that benefited from patience.
“We were able to keep our composure and grind them out,” Palazzolo said. “We put a couple runners on base and it was a big deep breath to get a five-spot in the fifth.”
The offense just was not there for Honolulu, which scattered five hits over six innings, as the big plays were made by Connecticut, which threw two Honolulu players out at the plate.
“Credit Fairfield, they made two nice plays,” Oda said. “That was the difference. They made the plays they needed to make and we didn’t.”
In the third, a lead-off walk to Kuana Payanal and a one-out walk to Keali‘i Maunakea-Kalahiki, put runners on first and second. Josh Tanaka doubled to left, scoring Payanal. But Maunakea-Kalahiki was thrown out at home on a close play.
In the fourth, Fermahin hit a one-out single. Evan Crawford and Dayten Ordenstien both singled, but Fermahin was tagged out at home by another accurate throw by Connecticut.
Honolulu continued to threaten after the play at the plate.
Kobe Lumford loaded the bases with a walk, but a line drive back to the pitcher ended the threat. Honolulu was retired in order in the fifth and a double play ended the game in the bottom of the sixth.
Source: The Garden Island
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