Hilo team wins world baseball series title

The players beat Mexico in the finals of the Cal Ripken championship

ABERDEEN, Md. » Kawika Pruett and Ekolu Martins got clutch first-inning hits to help Hilo take an early lead, and Kean Wong turned in a solid relief effort as Hawaii pulled out a 5-2 victory over Mexico yesterday in the Cal Ripken World Series championship game.

This is the third time in the last four years that a team from Mexico and a team from Hawaii met in the finals. Hilo became the second consecutive Hawaii team to win, as Oahu topped Mexico for last year's title.

The first inning helped Hilo take charge of this game. The Hawaii players knocked out Mexico starter Alex Delgado after their first five batters reached base en route to a 3-0 lead in the game.

Ridge Hoopii-Haslam* opened the bottom of the first with a single to center, and Wong reached on an error when laying down a sacrifice bunt. Martins then drove in Hoopi-Haslam with a double to left center for a 1-0 lead.

Pruett followed with a two-run single that gave Hilo a 3-0 lead. Hoopi-Haslam added a two-run homer in the second to make it 5-0. Edson Blanco came in to pitch three batters later and shut down Hilo by throwing 4 2/3 inning of one-hit ball.

Hilo starter Pruett had to leave with two outs in the third when manager Kaha Wong made a second visit to the mound in the inning. League rules then forced Wong to pull Pruett in favor of Martins. Kean Wong came on in the fourth and closed out the game with three hitless innings.