Waipio ... Winchester ... Williamsport

Paliku Winchester isn't old enough to understand the ridiculous odds against what his brother Pikai did the other day.

He's young enough, though, to believe in magic.

Today we all can.

"The championship is for brother," said Pikai, a 12-year-old boy of few words but plenty of decisive action.

Or course it is also for Pikai himself, his Waipio Little League teammates and the entire state of Hawaii. But the biggest share goes to 5-year-old Paliku.

He certainly deserves it.

Babe Ruth, legend tells us, told a sick little boy in a hospital he'd hit a homer for him. And the Sultan of Swat delivered.

If not for an official scorer's decision, Paul O'Neill would've made good on Cosmo Kramer's double-order of circuit shots for an ailing youngster.

But this isn't folklore from the 1920s or a clever script by a comedy writer.

This is real life. Happened on Sunday in San Bernardino, Calif., site of the West Regional final.

Pikai hit two home runs in the championship game, and because of that, Waipio won and is on its way to Williamsport, Pa., and the Little League World Series. He drove in three of the Hawaii team's runs - including the one to put it ahead for good - in a 4-3 victory over a tough team from Henderson, Nev.

The boys' parents, Kanoe and Rena Winchester, didn't tell Pikai they'd spent Thursday in a San Bernardino hospital with Paliku before Waipio's semifinal game. Paliku had displayed symptoms of severe dehydration, and the parents feared he'd suffered a seizure.

"We didn't want Pikai to know. We didn't want him to be devastated and distracted," Rena said.

Kanoe and Rena have to worry about Paliku because he was diagnosed with lymphoma in February, and has already undergone several chemotherapy treatments. He is often sick and lethargic.

The good news is doctors say Paliku has a great chance of beating the disease. Folks can get information on helping by e-mailing friendsofpaliku@yahoo.com.

"It looks very, very good," Kanoe said. "Two years of treatment. His cancer is very curable."

"But cancer is a scary thing," Rena added.

Pikai also worries about his little brother, who doesn't understand why his hair is falling out. The only positive in that is he can be like the Waipio players; they went bolo head last week to spark their bats.

It was 10 days on Kauai for the state tournament, and 10 days in California for the regional. It's time for Paliku to come home.

"He is happy for his brother and looks up to him," Rena said. "But in his 5-year-old mind, he thinks California did this to him. Originally the plan was to take the kids (the youngest brother, Waipehe, is 2) to Williamsport. But after the scare here we decided to leave them home with my parents."

Is there more magic in Pikai's bat? Who can doubt it after Sunday's events?

"It's been a nightmare, and it's been a blessing," Rena said of the past few months. "Hopefully, we come home with another championship."

For everyone, but especially Paliku.

Reach Star-Bulletin sports columnist Dave Reardon at dreardon@starbulletin.com.