WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — A team lauded as one of the most dominant in the recent history of the Little League World Series finished off the tournament in fitting fashion.

The Honolulu Little League All-Stars blew past Curacao 13-3 in four innings in the championship game Sunday to attain a fourth LLWS championship for Hawaii. It was the second for Honolulu and manager Gerald Oda in the last four editions of the tournament.

What You Need To Know

  • The Honolulu Little League All-Stars defeated Curacao 13-3 in four innings Sunday for Hawaii's fourth all-time LLWS championship banner, and second in the last four editions of the tournament

  • Kama Angell, who was 4-for-4 with six RBIs, hit the walk-off single to left field in the bottom of the fourth, while Kekoa Payanal hit his fourth home run of the tournament in his team's first at-bat

  • Hawaii, the West Region champion, won via mercy rule in four of its six games in the LLWS and finished with 60 runs scored to just five against

  • ESPN commentators said repeatedly they considered Hawaii's performance throughout the tournament to be one of the most dominant runs in the event's history

Hawaii is now tied with Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New Jersey for the second-most LLWS championships for a state. California has seven.

The two-way hitting and pitching dominance supplied by Honolulu's 11-and 12-year-olds was the story of the entire tournament. It won via mercy rule in four of its six games and finished with 60 runs scored and five runs against. Its 14 home runs nearly matched the total of the rest of the other 19 teams in the field.

"We just really wanted to enjoy it. Super proud, super happy of these kids, and just happy to represent our great state of Hawaii, and our country of course," Oda said to the ESPN broadcast. "Hats off to Curacao, I know they was running into some pitching problems ... but yet they continued to battle to the end. Much love and respect and I hope they travel safely back home."

Hawaii’s first two batters of the game, Kekoa Payanal and Kama Angell, hit balls over the wall, chasing Curacao starter Shemar Jacobus after just 10 pitches. But Hawaii’s ace Jaron Lancaster was on his game with 10 strikeouts to three walks in a three-hitter.

Honolulu blew the game wide open in the bottom of the third with a pair of three-run doubles by Angell and Ruston Hiyoto.

Angell was 4-for-4 with six RBIs, including the walk-off single to left in the bottom of the fourth, to finish 11-for-18 at the plate in the LLWS. Panayal finished with four home runs for the tournament.

"This tournament was great," Angell said to ESPN. "I feel like what's special about our team is that we always have our backs. No matter what happens, if someone goes 10-for-10 or pitches a perfect game, everyone has to compete to win this game."

 

Kama Angell, bottom middle, was mobbed by teammates after his walk-off single to win the Little League World Series. Angell was 4-for-4 with six RBIs in the title game against Curacao. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

 

Curacao's pitching staff was taxed and erratic after it had to emerge from the loser's bracket to edge Taiwan 1-0 for the LLWS International title. Its five pitchers Sunday hit seven Hawaii batters.

It was the first LLWS final contested between the U.S. and International champions since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 edition was canceled and the 2021 tournament was a U.S.-only affair.

Hawaii’s Ewa Beach team needed an extra inning to defeat Curacao 7-6 in a dramatic 2005 LLWS final. The Caribbean Region champion looked game early on Sunday as it scored a run in the top of the first, just the third run allowed by Honolulu in six LLWS games.

Curacao's Davey-Jay Rijke doubled and was successfully bunted over to third, followed by a Lancaster wild pitch that broke an ESPN camera behind the plate and scored Rijke.

Lancaster limited the damage from there and got plenty of run support.

Hawaii loaded the bases in the second against Curacao’s second pitcher, Jaylliard Emperador, and the Caribbean team summoned its third thrower, Qshondrickson Doran.

Mikah Noda came in on a shallow sacrifice fly by Payanal, and Angell and Lancaster followed with RBI singles for a 5-1 lead through two frames.

Lancaster allowed a single in the third but struck out the side.

Curacao plunked the first two Hawaii batters in the bottom of the third and Hawaii loaded the bases again, this time with one out. Payanal took a ball off his elbow to bring in a run.

Doran spontaneously collapsed between pitches of a battle with Angell and had to exit the game with an apparent arm injury. Angell immediately ripped a bases-clearing double to right against the new pitcher, Joshua Acosta for a 9-1 lead.

Curacao continued to hit Hawaii batters and the bases were loaded again, and Hiyoto cleared them again with a double to left for a 12-1.

Lancaster lost some of his command in the bottom of the fourth and Curacao loaded the bases. Four-foot-eight Jaythan Cordilia kept his team alive with a two-run single to right to get the margin back within 10 and force Hawaii to play the bottom of the fourth. Lancaster struck out his 10th batter to limit the damage to two runs.

Hawaii loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the frame and Angell sent his team out in style.

The other Hawaii LLWS titles came in 2005 (Ewa Beach), 2008 (Waipahu) and 2018 (Honolulu). Waipahu finished runner-up in 2010. 

 

 

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii.