by PONY League World Series
WASHINGTON, Pennsylvania – Day three action kicked off at the DICK’S Sporting Goods PONY League World Series with West Zone Champion Maui, Hawaii looking dominant in a 9-0 victory over European Zone Champion Paderborn, Germany.
Maui jumped out to a hot start thanks to starting pitcher Kaipo Haole’s double to right center field that scored center fielder Isaiah Duarte to make the score 1-0. Immediately following the double, third baseman Andre Beaudoin crushed a towering home run to left field and after the top half of one inning, Maui led 3-0.
Both Haole and Paderborn starter Simon Baeuner were in a pitchers dual, until the fifth inning, when for the second time in the game, Beaudoin took Baeuner deep for a three-run home run to extend the Maui lead to 6-0.
After the home run, the book closed on Baeuner, having allowed six runs, all earned, six hits, two walks and one strikeout in four-plus innings.
In the sixth inning, Maui added to its lead again, when Haole drove in his second run of the game with an RBI double to right center making the score 7-0 and another two runs came across on a fielder’s choice. Right fielder Konnor Palmeira received one RBI on the play with the second run scoring on an error by Paderborn second baseman Mel Boerner, making the score 9-0.
The final score held up to be 9-0 thanks to fantastic pitching by Maui.
Haole finished the game allowing no runs, one hit, a walk and 13 strikeouts over six innings. Of those 13 strikeouts, Haole’s final nine recorded outs were strike outs. Micah Kele came in relief of Haole in the seventh, striking out two and bringing the total to 15 for Maui.
With the victory, Maui faces Laredo, Texas in the winner’s bracket at 8 p.m tomorrow. Paderborn gets a day off and plays at 12:30 p.m. in an elimination game against the winner of Game #8.