TAYLOR, Mich. — Now that Hilo has proved it is the best team in America, it is time to see if it is the best in the world.

Hilo stormed back from a 5-1 third-inning deficit to beat Johnston (Iowa), 6-5, last night in the U.S. championship game of the Little League Junior (ages 13-14) World Series.

With the victory, Hilo advances to meet International champion Curacao in the World Series final tonight.

Trailing 5-4 in the fifth inning yesterday, Hilo took the lead for good with runs on consecutive wild pitches by Johnston's Ben Larpenter. Ridge Hoopii-Haslem scored the go-ahead run, but that wasn't the only impact he had on the game.

With Hilo trailing 5-1, and seemingly on the ropes in the third inning, Hoopii-Haslem replaced starter Jayce Carvalho and shut down Johnston the rest of the game with an overpowering fastball that helped him amass nine strikeouts.

"I felt really good and I was throwing strikes," said Hoopii-Haslem, who gave up three hits and one walk in the final 4 1/3 innings. "I knew they couldn't catch up with it so I was just working it inside and outside."

Hilo was led offensively by outfielder Kean Wong, who reached base four times and had two hits and an RBI.

"I'm just trying to help my team, and I'm trying to get on base anyway I can," said Wong, who walked once and was hit by a pitch to bring home Hoopii-Haslem with the eventual game-winner. "I just go with the pitch."Hilo head coach Kaha Wong was pleased by the scrappiness his team showed.

"We had a bad night at the plate but we held together as a team and played together as a team and we came out on top," he said.

"With the firepower we have at the plate, we just need to get a couple guys on."

Tonight's game will be televised on ESPNU (Dig. 219) at 11 a.m. Hawai'i time.