BANGOR – When you’re undefeated and your average margin of victory is a whopping 11.2 runs per game, rallies, deficits and comebacks are abstract concepts at best.

Well, there was nothing abstract or conceptual Tuesday night in Senior League World Series action as the U.S. West regional champs from Hilo, Hawaii, were one strike away from their first loss.

Down 5-1 to the Canadian champs from Surrey, British Columbia, with two outs in the top of the seventh, a runner at second, and a full count on top hitter Kolten Wong, the boys from Hilo found something out.

“I told these guys when we came up, ‘Hey, this is the last inning. We’ve got to show if we’re going to be pretenders or contenders,’ ” said Wong.

The answers came emphatically six batters later in the form of a bases-loaded, game-tying, three-run double off the bat of Keaka Pilayo and eight batters later with Jeremy Crivello’s game-winning RBI single.

If it’s possible for a 15-0 team to discover its identity this late, Hilo found its in the form of a dramatic 6-5 victory over Surrey on an unusually cool late summer night at Mansfield Stadium.

Pinch hitter Jared Shiroma started the big rally with a leadoff pinch-hit single. Thad Yosuhara then reached on a fielder’s choice grounder that erased Shiroma at second. After Canada starter Charley Clark struck out Eric Hernandez, he walked Wong (2-for-3, two doubles). That was it for Clark as he reached the 95-pitch limit and had to leave the mound after holding Hilo to three runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Chris Brien relieved Clark, but Hilo’s batters seemed to have him figured out from the outset. Blake Amaral drew a walk to load the bases and Geonah Ragual was hit on the knuckles to force home Yosuhara. That set the stage for Pilayo.

Pilayo roped a 2-1 fastball that stayed up into shallow center just out of the reach of lunging center fielder Adam Quan, allowing two runs in. Pinch runner Ryan Kihara raced around third as the throw sailed home. Kihara tagged home safely, just avoiding the tag and the game was tied.

After Ryan Fukunaga drew a walk, Crivello hit his second single of the game to right field to score Pilayo.

“This was pretty scary, honestly, because it’s the first time this has ever happened to us, but Kolten pumped us up and reminded us we all had to do this as a team,” Pilayo said.

If that wasn’t enough, Pilayo also earned the win by pitching a third of an inning in relief.

“I just threw fastballs,” he said with a grin. “It’s my first time actually pitching.”

Blake Amaral took the mound in the seventh and earned a save with a strikeout before sandwiching a groundout and flyout around an error.

“Canada played a hell of a game and we probably played our worst game in a tournament, but we have a lot of heart and I think it showed tonight,” said Hilo manager Kaha Wong.

Catcher Curtis Davis had two singles and an RBI to lead 1-1 Surrey, which scored four in the second on four hits and one Hilo error.

Hilo’s 3-0 record clinches a spot in Friday’s semifinals.

U.S. WEST 6, CANADA 5

(Pool A, Tuesday)

HILO, HAWAII SURREY, B.C.

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Ysuhra,ss 4 1 1 0 Quan, cf 4 0 0

Hrnndez,3b 4 0 1 0 Hadlow,2b 4 0 2

Wong, c 3 2 2 0 Chmbrln,rf 3 0 0

Amral,2b-p 3 1 1 1 Greaves,ss 4 1 0

Ragual,1b 2 0 1 1 McDnld,lf-p 4 2 0

Plyo,rf-2b-p 4 1 1 3 Clark, p 3 1 1

Fkunaga,lf 2 0 0 0 Derish,lf-1b 0 0 0

Crivello,p-rf 4 0 2 1 Brien, 1b-p 3 0

Kihara, cf 1 1 0 0 Davis, c 2 1 2

Shiroma,cf 1 0 1 0 Lebretn,c 1 0 0

Stevens,3b 1 0 0 0

Nylund, 3b 1 0 0 0

Totals 28 6 10 6 Totals 30 5 5 5

West 100 000 5 – 6

Canada 041 000 0 – 5

E-Pilayo, Hernandez, Yosuhara, Crivello; DP-McDonald-Greaves-Stevens, Hadlow-Greaves-Brien; LOB-West 8, Canada 6; 2B-Wong 2, Pilayo; SB-Yosuhara

West IP H R ER BB SO

Crivello 4 5 5 2 2 4

Amaral 2 2/3 0 0 0 0 0

Pilayo (W,1-0) 1/3 0 0 0 0 0

Canada

Clark 6 2/3 8 3 3 3 3

Brien (L,0-1) 0 1 3 3 2 0

MacDonald 1/3 1 0 0 0 0

HBP-Ragual by Clark, Amaral by Brien; PB-Wong.

T-1:53; A-750