ALWS Game 1: Hawaii defeats North Dakota

The starting time of Thurday's American Legion World Series opener was 4 a.m., local time for Honolulu, Haw.

But Honolulu coach Oly Gante didn't think the early starting time was the reason his unbeaten team started slow before it beat Fargo (N.D.) Post 400, 7-1 at Keeter Stadium at Veterans Field.

"I believe we were nervous for some reason," Gante said. "But they did a good job and came around and won the game."

Honolulu (32-0) manufactured two runs in the second inning, then got its first hit of the game two batters into what became a five-run fifth inning that gave it a comfortable working margin.

"We try to play small ball," Gante said "If we don't hit, we don't score. But it worked out. We got seven runs."

Two walks, a hit batter, an error on a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly created the two runs in the second inning.

Meanwhile, Gante felt his ace Josh Aribal wasn't as sharp as usual.

But Aribal wriggled out of trouble in the second and third innings and left with four scoreless innings and 74 pitches thrown and the opportunity to return as soon as Monday's semifinals if Honolulu can make it that far.

"It (the pitching) actually worked out good," said Gante, who used Aribal, reliever and winner Erik Bell and reliever Vance Oshiro. "He's (Aribal) our ace but he wasn't feeling it today. I pulled him early so we can use him on Monday.”

In the second inning, Fargo (24-22-2) loaded the bases with one out before Aribal got a strikeout and a groundout to get out of trouble.

In the third inning, after yielding back-to-back base hits to Easton Rerick and Kobe Senn, Aribal snagged a grounder and turned and fired to shortstop Hunter Hirayama, who completed the first of two double plays he was involved with.

Later, Honolulu snapped the no-hitter of Fargo starter Ethan Claus (two innings) and reliever Jacob Jaroszewski (two innings) with three hits in its five-run fifth-inning rally.

Ethan Thomas got the first hit, Ty Yukumoto added an RBI single and pinch-hitter Jordan Cezar hit a two-run single to highlight the inning.

Fargo ended Honolulu's shutout bid in the sixth on Eli Mach's RBI single.

"We didn't string hits together at all, we didn't play good D and we didn't get ahead of hitters," Fargo assistant coach Ben Bryant said. "That's what happens when do that. Now, we'll see how it goes and keep having fun playing baseball."