SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — West O'ahu scored all its runs off three home runs and continued its summer-long offensive barrage at Lamade Stadium, defeating Pennsylvania, 7-1.

Michael Memea hit a three-run homer, and Alaka'i Aglipay and Vonn Fe'ao hit two-run shots for West O'ahu. It was the latest display of firepower by a team that blitzed its Northwest Regional opponents by an 87-19 margin, hitting 16 homers in six games.

West O'ahu handed Pennsylvania its first defeat in 32 games.

"We always worry about any team. Every team is good so we take every team seriously," West O'ahu manager Layton Aliviado said. "We didn't know that much about them (Pennsylvania) but they said we had a good chance."

2nd GAME
Aug. 21: Pool play
West O'ahu 7, Iowa 3

Pitching, hitting earn playoff spot

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — West O'ahu continued its power display with three home runs in a 7-3 win over Davenport, Iowa, at Volunteer Stadium that clinched a playoff berth.

"This feels great. It's a lot of fun," said West O'ahu's Alaka'i Aglipay, who hit a two-run home run in the first inning.

Vonn Fe'ao hit his second home run of the World Series in the fourth inning, part of back-to-back homers with Quentin Guevara that gave West O'ahu a 6-0 lead. Kini Enos earned the win, striking out 10 and allowing one earned run in 4¡ innings.

"We're playing our best ball of the year now," Layton Aliviado said. "I just hope we can keep it up and not fall into a slump."

3rd GAME
Aug. 22: Pool play
West O'ahu 10, Florida 0

Hits keep on coming

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — West O'ahu clinched the Pool A championship, pounding out nine hits and two home runs while receiving four-hit pitching from Alaka'i Aglipay in a 10-0 victory over Maitland, Fla.

Sheyne Baniaga broke out of a mini-slump in the top of the first inning, launching a two-out, first-pitch home run to center field. Baniaga hit five home runs at the Northwest Regional but had just one hit in his first two World Series games.

"I felt a little nervous the first time I came up to bat," Baniaga said. "I was nervous because the last two games I was striking out."

4th GAME
Aug. 25: U.S. semifinal
West O'ahu 2, Louisiana 0

One hit proves to be enough

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Second baseman Sheyne Baniaga broke up the no-hitter and a scoreless game in the fourth, crushing a mammoth two-run home run to left-center field that helped lead West O'ahu of 'Ewa Beach to a 2-0 win over Lafayette, La., before a crowd of 16,496 at Lamade Stadium.

"Our coach let me know that the outside pitch was coming, a fastball, so hog the plate," Baniaga said. "It came outside so I knew what pitch was coming."

Kini Enos and Quentin Guevara combined on a five-hitter.

West O'ahu is trying to become the first team from Hawai'i to win a world championship and the first to reach the title game since Pearl City in 1988.

5th GAME
Aug. 27: U.S. final
West O'ahu 6, California 1

California becomes last U.S. victim

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — The West O'ahu Little League team from 'Ewa Beach scored four fourth-inning runs, survived a fifth-inning scare and captured its first U.S. championship since 1988 with a 6-1 victory over Rancho Buena Vista, of Vista, Calif., at Lamade Stadium.

A crowd of 20,794 saw West O'ahu become the second team from Hawai'i to reach the world championship for 11- and 12-year-olds, and the first since Pearl City lost in the 1988 title game.

"It's a dream come true," manager Layton Aliviado said. "We just had a dream to make it to San Bernardino (for the Northwest Regional). To be U.S. champions ... it's hard to explain. I'm happy."

West O'ahu enters the championship game riding a 17-game winning streak. It has outscored its five Little League World Series opponents, 32-5.

West O'ahu managed just two hits, but talk about making them count.

Sheyne Baniaga hit an RBI single in the fourth inning, putting West O'ahu ahead 1-0, and Vonn Fe'ao crushed a towering two-run home run in the fifth. Fe'ao's homer made it 6-1.

California lost for the first time in 25 games as Alaka'i Aglipay, Fe'ao and Quentin Guevara combined to two-hit the West Regional champions. Aglipay earned his second win of the tournament, allowing two hits while striking out six and walking five in 4¡ innings.

The turning point came in the fifth inning with West O'ahu ahead, 4-1.

Aglipay walked two and after running a 2-0 count, Aglipay was relieved by Fe'ao, who then hit a batter to load the bases. That brought up catcher Kalen Pimentel, who already had hit two grand slams and driven in nine runs in his first four tournament games.

Fe'ao coaxed Pimentel into popping out to shortstop Enos. Surprisingly, pinch runner Dylan Demeyer ran too far off second base and Enos threw to second to complete an inning-ending double play.

"It was a relief," Fe'ao said.

Fe'ao then hit his two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth.

Controversial play at the plate West O'ahu's quest for the title was almost derailed by a controversial call in the top of the third inning of the championship game. The play unfolded with runners on first and second and two outs with West O'ahu up 1-0. Curacao's Jurickson Profar hit a line single to right that got by the right fielder. Rudmichaell Brandao scored and Rayshelon Carolina tried to score, but was caught in a rundown. The throw came to pitcher Quentin Guevara, who appeared to apply a tag. But the runner was called safe, giving Curacao a 2-1 lead. The next batter singled to make it, 3-1. That deficit was short-lived as West O'ahu hit successive home runs in the bottom of the third. Photos by RALPH WILSON | Special to The Advertiser

6th GAME
Aug. 28: World Series final
West O'ahu 7, Curacao 6 (7)

West O'ahu is on top of the world

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — No matter the situation, players from West O'ahu of 'Ewa Beach hardly uttered any words while talking about their Little League World Series experiences the past 10 days.

They let their play do the talking.

And baseball fans across the world can now hear them loud and clear.

West O'ahu is Little League Baseball's world champion.

"We're the first. We made history," said West O'ahu manager Layton Aliviado. "I knew when we won in (regionals) in San Bernadino that we had a chance. The way the boys played I knew we could win."

Michael Memea hit a walk-off, seventh-inning home run at Lamade Stadium as West O'ahu capped a dramatic comeback, defeating defending world champion Curacao, 7-6, and captured the state's first Little League world championship for 11- and 12-year-olds.

"It's a dream come true," Aliviado said as he held the world championship plaque. "In the middle of the game we weren't hitting their pitcher too well and I told the boys if you want it, go get it. I guess it lit the fire up again."

West O'ahu staged a dramatic rally, scoring three times in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game at 6 and force extra innings. The comeback forced only the second extra-inning title game in 59 years and the first since 1971.

Memea capped one of the most exciting Little League World Series games in history by lining Christopher Garia's 3-2 offering over the center-field fence while leading off the seventh inning.

It was a fitting end for a powerful team that hit 13 home runs at the World Series.

Memea raised his right arm in triumph as he rounded first base and many of the 25,506 in attendance offered a standing ovation. Memea was then swarmed by teammates who were eager to congratulate the first player in title game history to hit a walk-off home run.

"I felt excited to hit the home run," Memea said. "I knew it was gone when I hit it."

Vonn Fe'ao's pitching in the seventh provided Memea and West O'ahu with the opportunity.

He appeared to throw harder and harder with every pitch in the seventh. He retired dangerous Jurickson Profar on one pitch before striking out the next two hitters on just seven pitches.

"I was angry the whole time," Fe'ao said. "I was on fire."

So was West O'ahu in the postseason. The champions finished the year 18-0.