August 13, 2021

ALWS Game 6: Honolulu rallies to keep undefeated season intact

By Richard Walker
Baseball

After Ridge, Md., took a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st, Honolulu came back to win 5-2.

Honolulu, Hawaii, took control of the Stars Division of the 2021 American Legion World Series with a 5-2 victory over Ridge, Md., on Friday night.

Honolulu (33-0 overall and 2-0 in the ALWS) can wrap up the division title in the pool play tournament on Saturday at 7 p.m., if it defeats Tupelo, Miss.

Ridge Post 255 took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first before Honolulu took charge with two in the bottom of the first, one in the second and two more in the third.

The rest was up to Honolulu starter and winner Ty Yukumoto and a slick-fielding defense behind him.

"We came right back and our pitching was solid," Honolulu coach Oly Gante said. "He (Yukumoto) found his groove."

After yielding a walk and hit batter in the two-run first, Yukumoto finished with six strikeouts, one walk, one hit batter, two hits and two runs before being relieved after throwing 77 pitches in 6 2-3 innings. Gante replaced Yukumoto in order to give him a chance to be available by American Legion Baseball pitching rules for Tuesday's championship game.

Yukumoto was relieved by Hunter Hirayama, who got the final out after leading his team's error-free defense with several sparkling plays.

"They played a lot looser than yesterday," Gante said of his team, which he thought was nervous in Thursday's 7-1 opening game win over Fargo, N.D. "Maybe it was just first game jitters."

Vance Oshiro led led Honolulu's eight-hit offense with two hits and one RBI.

A fielding error opened the door for Honolulu's two-run first inning, then Alohi Arecchi's RBI groundout gave Honolulu the lead for good at 3-2 in the second inning.

Hunter Sasaki's RBI groundout and Oshiro's RBI single accounted for the third inning runs.

Ridge, which concludes its pool play schedule on Sunday at 4 p.m. against Fargo, N.D., got a two-out, two-run RBI single from Chase O'Dell to account for its runs.

Entering the final two games of the Stars Division, Honolulu is 2-0 with a 12-3 run differential, Ridge is 1-1 with an 8-6 run differential, Tupelo is 1-1 with a 12-7 run differential and Fargo is 0-2 with a 2-18 run differential.

Should three teams tie with 2-1 or 1-2 records, the tiebreaker is runs allowed. If that doesn't break the tie, runs scored is used. And if neither breaks the tie, a coin flip is used.

 

A Tupelo 49ers player looks onto the field during the game between Fargo, North Dakota, and Tupelo, Mississippi, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021. Photo by Ben Mikesell/The American Legion
Tupelo 49ers catcher Ben Davis waits for his pitch during the game between Fargo, North Dakota, and Tupelo, Mississippi, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021.Photo by Ben Mikesell/The American Legion
Fargo Post 400 catcher Tate Gustafson drives in a run during the game between Fargo, North Dakota, and Tupelo, Mississippi, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021. Photo by Ben Mikesell/The American Legion
Tupelo 49ers shortstop Khi Holiday celebrates making an out during the game between Fargo, North Dakota, and Tupelo, Mississippi, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021. Photo by Ben Mikesell/The American Legion
Fargo Post 400 third baseman Eli Mach makes an error during the game between Fargo, North Dakota, and Tupelo, Mississippi, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021. Photo by Ben Mikesell/The American Legion
Ridge Post 255 stands for the national anthem before game 6 of the American Legion World Series between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Ridge, Maryland, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021. Photo by Ben Mikesell/The American Legion
Hawaii Team Central right fielder Alohi Arecchi runs to second base in game 6 of the American Legion World Series between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Ridge, Maryland, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021. Photo by Ben Mikesell/The American Legion
Ridge Post 255 left fielder Philip McCarthy swings at a pitch in game 6 of the American Legion World Series between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Ridge, Maryland, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021. Photo by Ben Mikesell/The American Legion
Hawaii Team Central shortstop Hunter Hirayama celebrates scoring a run in game 6 of the American Legion World Series between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Ridge, Maryland, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021.
Ridge Post 255 pitcher Allen Miller delivers a pitch in game 6 of the American Legion World Series between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Ridge, Maryland, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021. Photo by Ben Mikesell/The American Legion
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