Pearl City won the American Legion state title yesterday by beating host Kailua, 17-5, in a game Kailua coach Brian McCreadie said shouldn't even have been played.

Two Pearl City players were declared ineligible for yesterday's championship game after two teams filed protests on Saturday.

"It's just a matter of paper work. They weren't ineligible," Pearl City coach Dennis Fukunaga said.

In the first game Saturday, Pearl City had beaten Kailua, 22-11, in the continuation of a contest from Friday night.

In the second game, Pearl City beat 'Iolani, 15-12. During the middle of that game, the ineligible players were discovered by Kailua.

Kailua and 'Iolani both filed protests.

American Legion Hawai'i Commissioner Bernard Lee said he called the league's headquarters late Saturday night and was informed only one of the protests could result in a forfeit.

'Iolani was awarded a 9-0 forfeit victory over Pearl City. Kailua's loss stood.

"I'm extremely upset because the ruling came out where they awarded us the protest, but they let the other team — 'Iolani — win the game, which didn't make any sense," Kailua's McCreadie said.

He added: "I'm not done with this. I'll pursue it more."

Pearl City will represent Hawai'i at the West Regional in Kearns, Utah, Aug. 16 to 20. American League is for players 19 and younger.

McCreadie wasn't happy yesterday's tournament final was played.

"We should have never played the game," he said. "If the rules were followed by everybody and people did what they were supposed to do then this game should've never been played."

The paper work involved players who were on other American Legion teams last year and needed releases from those teams.

Yesterday, Kailua eliminated 'Iolani, 6-3, from the double-elimination tournament, then faced Pearl City in a winner-take-all finale.

Pearl City scored at least one run in each of the first six innings against Kailua, and finished with 19 hits, including nine for extra bases.

Hao Kamahiai batted 4 for 5 with a homer, four runs and five RBIs, and Bryant Katakura went 3 for 6 with two doubles, a triple and three RBIs.

Pearl City's Jason Tamanaha scattered 10 hits in a complete-game performance.

"He asked for the ball, I gave him the ball, and I said, 'You have to give me nine,' and he did," Fukunaga said.

Now Fukunaga has to figure out who can make the trip to the regional.

"We have guys in high school, guys in college, we have guys that are working. Now we really have to sit down and find out who can go and who cannot go."

Fukunaga said he was still working on getting the two players eligible for the trip.

"Hopefully, we'll straighten this out before we leave," he said.

KAILUA 101 100 110— 5 10 3

PEARL CITY 314 324 00X—17 19 1

Ryan McMonigal, Kale Sumner (3), Gavin Kido (5), Bobby Lastimosa (6), Bryson Gauthe (8) and Keenan Tanaka. Jason Tamanaha and Tripper Chung, Jeffrey Domingo (8). W—Tamanaha. L—McMonigal.

Leading hitters: Kailua—Ryan Kinoshita 2-5, 2 runs; Tanaka 4-4, double, 2 RBIs; Sumner homer, 2 runs; Kido double. Pearl City—Bryant Katakura 3-6, 2 doubles, triple, 2 runs, 3 RBIs; Josh Queja 3-5, double, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Derek Grace double; Chung 2-4, 2 doubles, 3 runs, 2 RBIs; Hao Kamahiai 4-5, homer, 4 runs, 5 RBIs; Duane Kiyota 2-4, double; Dustin Kimsiu 2-5, 2 runs, 2 RBIs.

KAILUA 6, 'IOLANI 3: Keenan Tanaka pitched a four-hitter and Kale Sumner hit a go-ahead two-run triple in the seventh for Kailua. Tanaka, who threw 109 pitches, walked four and struck out one. He benefitted from three double plays.

KAILUA 000 020 301—6 10 6

'IOLANI 002 000 100—3 4 1

Keenan Tanaka and Tyson Lono. JR Bunda, Sheldon Lee (7), Ronald Hirokawa (9) and Grant Iwamoto. W—Tanaka. L—Lee.

Leading hitters: Kailua—Jared Tamanaha double; Tanaka double; Kale Sumner 3-5, double, triple, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Reyn Matsuki 2-4. 'Iolani—Brennan Nacario double; Aaron Fong 2-4, double, triple.

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.