[ LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL ]
Hilo team playing
for Senior LLWS titleIt beats the defending
world champion to earn
a rematch against Virginia today
BANGOR, Maine >> Myles Ioane tossed a two-hitter as Hilo knocked off defending world champion Curacao 3-2 yesterday to advance to today's championship game of the 2003 Senior Little League World Series.
The team of 15- and 16-year-olds from the Big Island will play a squad from Chesterfield, Va., in today's final scheduled for 7 a.m. Hawaii time at Mansfield Stadium.
Virginia defeated Iowa 6-3 in yesterday's first semifinal.
Ioane didn't allow a hit in the first five innings and ended with nine strikeouts and two walks.
Curacao pitcher Shairon Martis allowed just three hits, but the Latin America champions were hampered by four errors.
Hilo took the lead with a run in the first, but Curacao took the lead in the second by scoring two runs without the benefit of a hit.
Hilo came back with a two-run rally in the third inning sparked by aggressive base running. With runners at first and third, Matt Haasenritter stole second and an errant throw from Curacao catcher Kenley Jansen allowed Owen Otsuka to score the tying run. Haasenritter later scored the go-ahead run on Kulea Bondallian's groundout to shortstop.
Ioane held Curacao hitless until the sixth, when Rashid Mauricio led off the inning with a double. Hilo snuffed the Curacao rally in the sixth but found itself in another jam in the bottom of the seventh with runners on first and second with one out.
However, Hilo closed the game with a double play as Ioane struck out the batter and Otsuka threw out the runner trying to steal third to send Hilo to the final.
Today's championship game will be the second meeting between Hilo and Virginia. The teams met on the opening day of the tournament, when Virginia won 8-2 in pool play. It was Hilo's only loss of the tournament.
