But for Hilo it was defensive plays in the outfield that helped preserve a 16-8 victory at Mansfield Stadium for its first World Series championship.

Hilo, which pounded out 16 hits, was the first team from the West region to win the championship since 1982.

"I felt very confident with this team," Hilo manager Hale Decker said. "When we took care of (Curacao) in the semifinals, it brought up our confidence."

Hilo started it off with five runs in the top of the first inning. Central Chesterfield, South region champs, responded with four in the bottom of the inning.

Central Chesterfield took a 7-5 lead in the second, Hilo answered with three runs in the third and four more in the fourth.

"We started to work our bats and that was the turning point," said Myles Ioane, who was 3 for 5 with two triples, two runs scored and three RBIs.

Central Chesterfield was held to one score after the second, a run in the fourth.

Hilo reliever Kulea Bondallian, who replaced starting pitcher Matt Haasenritter in the second inning, held Central Chesterfield to six hits and three runs in six innings of work. Bondallian, a left-hander, earned the win, his second of the World Series.

"He told me he was good for the rest of the game," Decker said. "He pitched a helluva game."

Bondallian was backed up by stellar defense in the outfield. With one out in the bottom of the second and runners at first and second, center fielder Jessie Yamashita snagged a fly ball over his back, then fired to shortstop Dane Inouye, who threw the ball to first baseman Ioane.

Ioane, covering second, stepped on the bag to get the runner, who was trying to get back to the base after the flyout.

"We were down, we only had one out," Yamashita said. "I was just trying to help the team out. It was nothing big, nothing special."

Then, with two outs in the fourth, Central Chesterfield had a runner on second when Yamashita made a diving catch to end the inning.

"The way Jessie made those plays, he really turned it on," Decker said. "He helped us a lot. It was a momentum turner."

Said Central Chesterfield manager Jeff Byrd: "(Yamashita) made two nice plays and we probably would have had two or three more RBIs."

The Hilo all-star team is scheduled return home on Tuesday.

HILO 503 422 0—16 16 4

CENTRAL CHESTERFIELD 430 100 0— 8 9 3

Matt Haasenritter, Kulea Bondallian (2) and Owen Otsuka. Will Childs, Matt Brown (3), Bart Burgwyn (6) and Andy Ullom, Childs (3). W—Bondallian. L—Childs.

Leading hitters: Hilo—Haasenritter 3-5, three doubles, 3 runs, 2 RBIs; Myles Ioane 3-5, double, 2 triples, 2 runs, 3 RBIs; Kulea Bondallian 2-4, triple, 3 runs; Kyle Correia 3-5, double, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Darrick Iida double. Central Chesterfield—Marcus Childress 3-3, 2 doubles, 2 runs, 1 RBI.