BANGOR – It was clear to Jordan Otis early on that he was going to have a problem.

Otis, the starting pitcher for the U.S. West team in Monday night’s Pool A game in the Senior League World Series, just couldn’t see the signs his catcher, Kolten Wang, was calling because of the dark.

So during a brief first-inning conference, the batterymates worked out a series of signals – and cruised to a win from there.

Otis struck out 10 and gave up just two hits to post a 5-0 victory for the team from Hilo, Hawaii, over the U.S. South representative from Cartersville, Ga., at Mansfield Stadium. The game started at 9:04 p.m., more than an hour late than the scheduled time, because the previous game went into extra innings.

It was a big win for Hilo, which won the 2003 SLWS title, because it is now 2-0 in pool play. Hilo faces Canada at 8 p.m. Tuesday and Maine District 3 representative Brewer on Thursday.

“It’s very important,” said Wang, who hit a solo home run in the fifth inning. “We still have a tough team in Canada and Maine. We’re going to have a tough road.”

Cartersville, the final team to start pool play, falls to 0-1. Manager Eric Stewart said his team didn’t adjust well to their long trip and almost two days of sitting around (the team had Sunday off).

“That’s what kept us down,” Stewart said. “My boys were worn out. It’s one of those things where, you’re going to see a different team the rest of the week.”

Otis dominated the Georgia lineup, retiring 11 batters in a row at one point using his fastball, curve, and occasional changeup. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound lefthander only looked shaky in the fifth inning, allowing a leadoff hit and a walk. He recovered well, however, by striking out the side.

He also allowed a one-out single in the first inning to Cole Payne, the second batter he faced. It was around that point, Otis said, he realized he couldn’t see Wong’s signs in the dark.

The two had a conference and worked out a series of signals.

“We had to make up something on the mound because it was too dark,” Otis said. “I couldn’t throw all my pitches.”

Cartersville swung at pitches and hit Otis hard at times, forcing Hilo’s defense to make plays. Stewart said his team was too aggressive.

“They were swinging at balls,” he said. “If they were disciplined like they know how to be, we would have walked 15 times instead of struck out.”

Wong’s homer, which came on a 1-0 fastball, cleared the 330-foot fence in right field. It was his first of the World Series, but Otis said Wong hit five in the regionals.

“The first time I faced [Cartersville starter Ben Bridges] he was challenging me, and I didn’t expect that so I was kind of late,” Wong said. “That at-bat, he came with a fastball inside, kind of belt high. I knew he was going to come with that again, so I just waited on it and got my pitch.”

Wong also had a sacrifice fly to left that put Hilo up 1-0.

Hilo’s three-run fourth inning put away the Cartersville squad. Although Georgia made a fine play to cut down a runner at home earlier in the inning, Thad Yasuhara’s two-run single, and another run scored on a throwing error, to make it 4-0.

Yasuhara finished with two singles and also pitched one inning of scoreless relief to seal the win.

Blake Amaral singled and doubled for Hilo.

U.S. WEST 5, U.S. SOUTH 0

(Pool A)

Cartersville, Ga. Hilo, Hawaii

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Boston, 2b 3 0 0 0 Yshra, ss-p 4 0 2

Pyne,ss-cf 3 0 1 0 Hernndz,3b 3 1 0

Brdgs,p-ss 3 0 0 0 Ushijima,pr 0 0 0

Stewart, c 3 0 0 0 Wong, c 1 1 1 2

Huth, 3b 3 0 1 0 Amaral, 2b 3 0 0

Green,cf-p 2 0 0 0 Ragual, 1b 2 0 0

Linn, rf 3 0 0 0 Shiroma,1b 1 0 0

Mntgmry,lf 1 0 0 0 Pilayo, rf-ss 2 0 0

Willms,1b 2 0 0 0 Fukunaga,lf 2 1 0

Aoki, lf 1 0 0 0

Crivello, cf 3 1 2 0

Otis, p 2 1 0 0

Kihara, p-rf 1 0 0 0

Totals 23 0 2 0 25 5 8 4

U.S. South 000 000 0 – 0

U.S. West 100 310 x – 5

E-Bridges 2, Green; DP-Bridges-Huth; LOB-U.S. South 4, U.S. West 6; 2B-Amaral; HR-Wong (1); SF-Wong

U.S. South IP H R ER BB SO

Bridges (L, 0-1) 4 7 5 3 2 3

Green 2 1 0 0 0 1

U.S. West

Otis (W, 1-0) 6 2 0 0 1 10

Yosuhara 1 0 0 0 1 1

HBP-Pilayo (by Bridges); WP-Bridges 2.

T-1:34; A-700