For the Honolulu Little Leaguers, this was the ultimate summer fun.
Kama Angell batted 4-for-4, hit a homer and drove in six runs batted in and Jaron Lancaster struck out 10 over four innings as Honolulu run-ruled Curacao 13-3 on Sunday to win the Little League World Series championship game.
“What’s special on our team, we always have our backs,” Angell said. “No matter what happens, if someone goes 10-for-10 or someone pitches a perfect game, everyone has to compete to win this game. And I feel like that’s what’s great about our team.”
The victory completed a dominant run for Honolulu in which it outscored opponents 60-5 in the Little League World Series. Honolulu opened victories over Washington (11-1 on Aug. 17), New York (12-0, Aug. 19), Texas (6-0, Aug. 22) to reach the United States semifinals. Honolulu beat Tennessee 13-0 to reach the final and beat Tennessee again 5-1 to reach the world championship.
“I was just happy for our kids. Of course, they worked hard,” Honolulu manager Gerald Oda said while being interviewed afterward by ESPN’s Julie Foudy.
Oda said to the team before the game, “no matter what happens, today is our last day as a 12-year-old baseball. We just wanted them to enjoy. Super proud. Super happy for these kids. Just happy to represent the great state of Hawaii, and our country of course.
“Hats off to Curacao. I know they were getting into some pitching problems, yet they continued to battle to the end. So much love and respect. I hope they travel safely back home. Again, just very grateful for this opportunity.”
After Curacao took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, Honolulu got back-to-back homers from Kekoa Payanal and Angell for a 2-1 lead. Honolulu scored three in the second and seven in the third for a 12-1 lead. It was Payanal’s fourth homer of the tournament.
Honolulu was an out away from ending the game in the top of the fourth but Curacao scored two runs to get under the 10-run mercy rule mark at 12-3.
But Angell’s hit score pinch-runner Ruston Hiyoto to end it.
Honolulu parlayed seven hits, and seven hit by pitches into another run-rule victory.
It is Hawaii’s fourth Little League World Series title and the second for Oda. Hawaii won titles in 2005, 2008, 2018 and 2020. A Hawaii team has reached the last four times the LLWS was played. Oda’s Honolulu team won in 2018, Central East Maui took fourth in 2019 and Honolulu took third in 2021. No tournament was held in 2020.
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