Hawaii wins BRWS in thriller
Times Observer photo by Matt Spielman Members of the Mililani, Hawaii, 13-year-old Babe Ruth team celebrate after winning the World Series title against Atlantic Shore, New Jersey, on Saturday at Diethrick Park in Jamestown, N.Y.
Times Observer photo by Matt Spielman Atlantic Shore, New Jersey's Landon Gracia is tagged out attempting to steal by Mililani, Hawaii second baseman Justice Gabrillo during the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series title game Saturday at Diethrick Park in Jamestown, N.Y.
Times Observer photo by Matt Spielman Atlantic Shore, New Jersey's Landon Gracia is congratulated by Joey Gaynor (23) and other teammates after hitting a fifth-inning home run during the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series title game against Mililani, Hawaii, on Saturday at Diethrick Park in Jamestown, N.Y.
Times Observer photo by Matt Spielman Mililani, Hawaii's Isaac Saoit reaches for a throw to complete a double play just before Atlantic Shore, New Jersey's Cole Leusner reaches first base during the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series title game Saturday at Diethrick Park in Jamestown, N.Y.
Times Observer photo by Matt Spielman Mililani, Hawaii's Bailey Irvine, left, and Chaysten Fuentes celebrate after Irvine scored during the eighth inning of the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series title game against Atlantic Shore, New Jersey, on Saturday at Diethrick Park in Jamestown, N.Y.
Times Observer photo by Matt Spielman Members of the Mililani, Hawaii, 13-year-old Babe Ruth team celebrate after winning the World Series title against Atlantic Shore, New Jersey, on Saturday at Diethrick Park in Jamestown, N.Y.
Times Observer photo by Matt Spielman Atlantic Shore, New Jersey's Landon Gracia is tagged out attempting to steal by Mililani, Hawaii second baseman Justice Gabrillo during the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series title game Saturday at Diethrick Park in Jamestown, N.Y.
Times Observer photo by Matt Spielman Atlantic Shore, New Jersey's Landon Gracia is congratulated by Joey Gaynor (23) and other teammates after hitting a fifth-inning home run during the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series title game against Mililani, Hawaii, on Saturday at Diethrick Park in Jamestown, N.Y.
Times Observer photo by Matt Spielman Mililani, Hawaii's Isaac Saoit reaches for a throw to complete a double play just before Atlantic Shore, New Jersey's Cole Leusner reaches first base during the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series title game Saturday at Diethrick Park in Jamestown, N.Y.
Times Observer photo by Matt Spielman Mililani, Hawaii's Bailey Irvine, left, and Chaysten Fuentes celebrate after Irvine scored during the eighth inning of the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series title game against Atlantic Shore, New Jersey, on Saturday at Diethrick Park in Jamestown, N.Y.
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JAMESTOWN, N.Y. -- Ezra Pule-Nicholas played the part of hero for Mililani, Hawaii, on Saturday.
With his arm and his bat.
Pule-Nicholas hit a two-run single in the top of the eighth inning and then pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the frame as the Pacific Southwest Region champions won the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series 4-2 over Atlantic Shore, New Jersey, at Diethrick Park.
Hawaii finished the tournament with a perfect 6-0 record and outscored its opponents 40-7. The "Westside Bombers" trailed for just two innings at the start of a pool-play game Monday.
The teams went into an extra inning tied 1-1 Saturday and the international tiebreaker rule started Hawaii's Justice Gabrillo at second base. Logan Kawakami then laid down a sacrifice bunt and when an errant throw got away at first base, Gabrillo scored on the play.
Shiloh Irvine followed with another sacrifice bunt, Chaysten Fuentes was intentionally walked and Isaac Saoit drew a walk to load the bases before Pule-Nicholas hit a two-run single to right field that fell just in front of a lunging attempt from the New Jersey outfielder.
In the bottom of the inning, Landon Gracia started at second base for the Middle Atlantic Region champions before Nick Gelegonya singled and Gavin Colon reached on an error to plate a run, making it 4-2. After a strikeout, Liam Higginbottom walked to load the bases with one out, prompting a mound visit from Coach Gabrillo.
Pule-Nicholas responded, inducing a groundball for a 6-4-3 double play to end the game, setting off a wild celebration on the infield.
Hawaii took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Kawakami walked with one out and went to second on Irvine's bunt single before Fuentes hit an RBI single.
Lowen Badayos-Asanion started for Hawaii, tossing two scoreless innings before running into trouble in the third. New Jersey No. 9 hitter Joey Gonzalez reached on a leadoff error and Cole Leusner followed with a double. Hawaii then turned to Pule-Nicholas in relief, and the right-hander got out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts and a lineout to tournament Most Outstanding Player Stansen Verbeckmoes, who made a leaping catch at shortstop.
The shutout remained intact until the bottom of the fifth inning when Gracia cleared the left-field fence with the only home run of the tournament.
That finally gave a run of support to New Jersey starter Grayson Zacchi, who pitched 7 1-3 innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits and five walks while striking out one.
After Gracia's home run, Pule-Nicholas pitched around a leadoff single in the sixth and a first-and-second situation in the seventh, getting out of both jams without allowing a run.
That set up a dramatic eighth to decide a champion.