Aukai Kea lined a pitch over the left-center field fence at Howard J. Lamade Stadium to cap Day 2 of the Little League Baseball World Series and earn the West Region Champions from Honolulu (Hi.) Little League a dramatic 2-0, 11-inning victory over Peachtree City (Ga.) Little League, the Southeast Region Champions.
Equaling the longest game by innings in Little League Baseball World Series history, the two teams opened their tournament experience with pitching dominating the night. Kea ( 5 6 1/3 innings, two hits, 10 strikeouts, 0 walks) and Southeast starter Jansen Kenty 5 1/3 innings, 4 hits, 12 strikeouts, 2 walks) highlighted stellar mound work that included seven pitchers recording a total of 34 strikeouts against just eight walks, while scattering 12 hits.
Kea’s blast off of Ben Traxler came after Hawaii’s Mana Lau Kong had walked. To the point the winning hit cleared the wall, the West Region Champs had been turned away by superb Southeast defense. Traxler took the mound loss for Southeast. He allowed two hits and two runs over 2 2/3 innings, striking out three.
Sean Yamaguchi picked up the pitching victory for his two innings of relief, allowing one hit and no runs, while striking out four, and walking one.
The West collected eight hits. Aukai and Caleb Okada each collected two hits to lead West. On defense, The team from Honolulu was sure-handed in the field, playing error-free ball. Bruce Boucher had the most chances in the field with 16.
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