Hawaii Beat
Star-Bulletin staff
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Hilo reaches Cal Ripken championship
Hilo will try to keep the Cal Ripken World Series championship in the islands today when it faces Mexico in the final in Aberdeen, Md.
The championship game is set for 11 a.m. Hawaii time. The game will be televised on OLN (Oceanic Cable Channel 47, Digital 210).
Ridge Hoopi-Haslam allowed one hit and struck out 10 over five innings of scoreless relief and hit a three-run homer to power Hilo to an 8-1 win over Bryant, Ark., in the U.S. final yesterday.
Kawika Pruett went 2-for-3 with a double and triple, and Kian Kurokawa went 2-for-2 with an RBI.
Bryant, which defeated Hilo 2-0 on Wednesday, took the lead with a single run in the top of the first inning before Hilo stormed ahead with a six-run third. The team added two more runs in the fifth to pad the lead.
Mexico defeated the Dominican Republic 2-1 in the International final.
Today's matchup will be the third meeting between Hawaii and Mexico in the World Series final in the last four years. Mexico defeated Hilo in the 2003 final and the Oahu All-Stars claimed the title last year.
» Pearl City finished second in the Senior League (ages 15-16) World Series for the second straight year with a 4-2 loss to Paraguana, Venezuela, yesterday in the championship game in Bangor, Maine.
Pearl City took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning but couldn't hang on.
Pearl City, coming into the championship 5-0, scored its only runs on a sacrifice fly by Carlton Tanabe that scored Rorry Nakayama and a balk, which brought in Ryne Acosta.
Venezuela scored a run in the bottom of the first and tied it with a run in the fifth. The team then used two hits and an error to score two in the sixth to break the 2-2 tie.
Venezuela's Osmar Morillo struck out seven and gave up three hits in a complete-game performance.
Pearl City fell to Iowa in the final last year.
» Pearl City lost to Venezuela 7-0 in the third-place game of the Junior League (ages 13-14) World Series in Taylor, Mich.
Venezuela limited Pearl City, which lost to El Campo, Texas, in the semifinals on Friday, to two hits in the consolation game. The team is scheduled to return to Honolulu tomorrow.
Former 'Bama kicker at QB Club
As the Hawaii football team prepares for its season opener at Alabama, former UH and Crimson Tide kicker Peter Kim will talk about his experiences at tomorrow's meeting of the Honolulu Quarterback Club at the Pagoda Hotel's main ballroom.
UH defensive backs coach Rich Miano and head volleyball coach Dave Shoji are also scheduled to speak at the meeting.
Lunch starts at 11:30 a.m., with the program to begin at noon. The public is invited.