SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT. Pa. (AP) 鈥� A packed Lamade Stadium, a national TV audience and an opposing pitcher who tossed a no-hitter in a regional final.
That would trouble a lot of teams of 10- to 12-year-olds, but not Hawaii.
Kekoa Payanal drove the third pitch over the fence in left, and Hawaii was on its way once again.
Hawaii has won its first two games at the Little League World Series by a combined score of 23-1. That鈥檚 11-1 over Northwest, and 12-0 over Metro 鈥� specifically Massapequa Coast from Long Island 鈥� on Friday. The club from Honolulu hasn鈥檛 even played a full game yet, having mercy-ruled each of its opponents after the fifth inning.
On Friday, Kekoa hit two of his team鈥檚 four home runs.
鈥淚 have this routine,鈥� Kekoa said. 鈥淏asically you take a deep breath and stare at your bat to focus. That鈥檚 what works for me.鈥�
It's not just hitting, too. Hawaii has dominated on defense as well, allowing only one hit, and remaining errorless in the field.
It's more of the same for a Hawaii team that has been one of the best American Little League teams over the last several years. This Honolulu squad won the tournament in 2018, and the 2021 team placed third 鈥� having to stay in a COVID-19 bubble through regionals and the LLWS.
Keith Oda, the team鈥檚 interim manager while his brother, Gerald Oda, recovers from COVID-19, said the team works on hitting anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours each day.
鈥淔irst at-bat we need to attack,鈥� Oda said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 let them breathe, put them on their heels early.鈥�
On the mound, Jaron Lancaster and Cohen Sakamoto combined to no-hit the team from Long Island. Lancaster, sporting a blonde Mohawk, struck out seven of the 11 batters he faced in three innings.
Both Lancaster and Cohen are eligible under Little League pitch limit rules to play Monday when Hawaii faces Texas.
The combined no-hitter was true to the team鈥檚 motto 鈥淲e Me,鈥� or 鈥渨e is greater than me.鈥�
鈥淲hat we pound in the heads of these kids is that it鈥檚 not about you, it鈥檚 about the team,鈥� Oda said. 鈥淲hatever it takes for the team to do well. Even if you aren鈥檛 starting, be the best cheerleader to your fullest for the team.鈥�
Esaiah Wong wasn鈥檛 in the starting lineup Friday night, but followed what he had been taught. Esaiah said he got so excited for Kekoa's first-inning homer he almost fell over on his way out of the dugout. Wong eventually got to hit in the fifth, and he belted a three-run homer.
鈥淚 was so pumped when (Kekoa) hit that home run, and I was so ready to get in the game,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd when I got called up, I just had to clutch it up and help the team in any way.鈥�
It may be hard for Esaiah to wait through the weekend for another chance to play but Oda expects them to be ready.
鈥淲e tell them to attack every pitch and they work hard at it,鈥� Oda said. 鈥淭heir hard work shows up in the games.鈥�
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Matthew Gelhard is a journalism student at Penn State.
Matthew Gelhard, The Associated Press
