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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, August 8, 2006

Waipi'o rolls to 14-1 win in Little League regional

By George Alfano
Special to The Advertiser

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Tyler Tokunaga, a quiet seventh-grader, has made a loud impact in the Little League Western Regional for 11- and 12-year-olds.

The switch-hitter had two home runs and six RBIs to lead Waipi'o to a 14-1 victory over Santa Clara (Utah) last night in pool play. Center fielder Brian Iida had three singles, driving in two runs in the top of the fourth to seal the victory in a game that ended after four innings because of the 10-run rule.

Tokunaga drove a fastball over the left-field fence for a two-run home run that staked Waipi'o to a 4-1 lead in the second inning. He broke the game open in the fifth, hitting a three-run homer over the right-field scoreboard.

"The second one was a change-up down the middle and I just reacted and hit it where it was pitched," said Tokunaga, whose favorite player is New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. "I moved back and away from the plate in this game."

There were other offensive stars for Waipi'o. Ryan Reyes had three hits, while leadoff batter Dustyn Cook reached base four times with two hits and two walks.

"We saw the pitcher was struggling, and we got things going tonight," Iida said.

Waipi'o is 2-1 in the tournament and is second among the six teams in the pool. Its final game in pool play is today at 8:45 a.m. Hawai'i time against Fresno, the Northern California representative that leads the group with a 2-0 record.

Waipi'o can clinch a place in Thursday's semifinals with a win today. A loss today still would not necessarily keep Waipi'o from advancing.

Santa Clara was eliminated with its third loss. Las Vegas already has two losses, and will be eliminated if it loses to Southern California tomorrow. Even if Las Vegas wins and Waipi'o loses, the Las Vegas team would have to make up a run differential that now stands at 20.

"I think we had more confidence with our bats tonight," Waipi'o coach Timo Donahue said. "As long as we stick with our plan offensively, we'll be all right."

Waipi'o's opponent last night, Santa Clara, Utah, forfeited its game against Nevada on Sunday because of religious reasons. The score is listed as 6-0 for Nevada.

In a statement, the Little League tournament committee said while the committee respects the rights of any individual to practice any religion they choose, the Rules, Regulations and Policies of Little League cannot be altered to suit a particular religious view or practice.