Unbeaten Hawaii collects third win Namba, Nakayama provide offensive spark after slow start for Pearl City

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BANGOR – The U.S. West team from Pearl City, Hawaii, became the first Senior League World Series squad to win its third game, but picking up that third victory Tuesday night wasn’t easy.

Hawaii committed four errors, got a disappointing performance out of its starter, stranded eight runners and managed just one more hit than the Canada representative from Regina, Saskatchewan, but escaped Mansfield Stadium with a 7-3 win.

“We made a lot of mistakes today and the bats were not so good, but we had timely hits and bunted the ball,” Hawaii manager Gary Nakamoto said. “We did what we had to do. But it was not a good game for us.”

Hawaii, now 3-0 in Pool A play, has an off-day today while Canada will face Asia Pacific at 1 p.m.

Hawaii needed 2 1/3 innings before it had its first hit and finished with eight overall. Bryson Namba had the only extra-base hit of the game, an RBI triple in the fifth to give Pearl City a 5-2 lead.

Instead of big hits, Hawaii moved runners with three sacrifice bunts and two sacrifice flies. Speedy Rorry Nakayama had one of each, in addition to a stolen base, a single and an RBI. John Abreu had a sacrifice fly in addition to a bases-loaded walk in the third, the inning in which Hawaii went ahead 2-1 for its first lead of the game.

Canada lefthander Terry Shulko was responsible for all seven Hawaii runs and all eight hits. He also walked seven and struck out three.

Still, Hawaii had just a few big hits and wasn’t consistent against Shulko.

“We normally always hit the ball but I think the lefty threw us off,” said Duane Kiyota, who singled twice, scored two runs and drove in two more. “We haven’t seen one in a while. [But] we kind of figured out what he was throwing and when.”

Canada, which went hitless against Maine District 3 representative Bangor Sunday in its only other pool game, didn’t take long to get its first run of the tournament. John Frasz singled in Matt Strueby, who led off the game with a walk, with one out in the first.

“Tonight you can see that we like to swing the bats,” Canada manager Barry Richardson said. “Good things happen when we can swing the bats.”

Hawaii starter Nainoa Tampos gave up two walks and two hits in the first.

“He kind of didn’t have it,” Nakamoto said. “His fastball was staying up and his curveball was hanging.”

Kurt Poentis started the second inning and earned the win, scattering five hits with two strikeouts, no walks and two runs, both of which were unearned.

Frasz led Canada with three singles and two RBIs. Justin Hebert had an RBI single in the fourth.

Canada shortstop Brett Barth made a stellar play in the top of the seventh, bare-handing a bouncing ball to his right and throwing out Jordan Dekneef at first.

U.S. WEST 7, CANADA 3

Pearl City, Hawaii (3-0) Regina, Sask. (0-2)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Nakayama, cf 2 1 1 1 Strueby, lf-2b 3 1 0

Kiyota, 3b-rf 4 2 2 2 Ringlein, cf 3 0

Tanabe, 1b 4 0 2 0 Frasz, 3b 4 0 2

Sugitaya, rf-2b 0 0 0 0 Richardson, 1b 3 0

Nakamura, rf-2b 1 1 0 0 Shulko, p 3 0

Tampos, p 0 0 0 0 Patterson, lf 0 0 0

Namba, lf 2 1 1 2 Cameron, rf 3 0 0

Abreu, ss 2 0 0 2 Barth, ss-p 3 1 0

Domingo, c 3 0 0 0 Marinos, 2b-ss 3 0 0

Dekneef, c-rf 1 0 0 0 Hebert, c 3 1

Casarez, 2b 1 0 0 0

Rasa, 3b 2 1 1 0

Poentis, lf-p 3 1 1 0

Totals 25 7 8 7 Totals 28 3 7 3

Pearl City 002 122 0 – 7

Regina 100 100 1 – 3

E-Kiyota, Namba, Domingo, Rasa; Hebert; LOB-Hawaii 8, Saskatchewan 7; 3B-Namba; S-Nakayama, Poentis; Ringlein; SF-Nakayama, Abreu; SB-Nakayama, Poentis

Pearl City IP H R ER BB SO

Tampos 1 2 1 1 2 0

Poentis (W,1-0) 6 5 2 0 0 2

Regina IP H R ER BB SO

Shulko (L,0-1) 5 1/3 8 7 7 7 3

Barth 2/3 0 0 0 0 0

Marinos 1 0 0 0 0 1

WP-Tampos; Shulko; BK-Poentis; T-2:10; ATT-450 (est.)