HK Dodgers Black vs HK Los Animales- FINAL 6-5
In the first 12u Cal Ripken State semi-final game, the HK Dodgers Black faced the HK Los Animales. Tydin from HK Los Animales was sensational at the plate, hitting a grand slam in the bottom of the first inning and following it up with a solo home run in his second at-bat. His power hitting set the tone for the game and gave his team an early advantage.
However, the HK Dodgers Black refused to back down. Trailing 5-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, they staged a comeback. With a display of great teamwork and clutch hitting, they managed to score four runs, leveling the score at 5-5.
In the bottom of the 8th inning, the HK Dodgers Black’s Kahiau Kopa stepped up to the plate with runners on first and third base and two outs. With nerves of steel, Kopa delivered a walk-off single, driving in the winning run and propelling his team to the championship game.
New Era vs Mililani Gold: FINAL 11-3
In the second semi-final match up, New Era dominated Mililani Gold 11-3 and secured their spot in the championship game. New Era got on the board first with four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Mililani Gold answered back with two of their own runs in the top of the third to close the deficit to just two runs.
New Era who had begun to look like the tournament favorite throughout the week continued to prove they deserved a shot at the title as they added a run in the third, three in the fifth and another three in the sixth.
Mahalo to Dixie Grill, Iron Workers Union Local 625, Hawaii Dental Service, Honorbox Chiropractic, SportStan, and StateFarm’s Kevin Takahashi for sponsoring our Cal Ripken Baseball State Tournament coverage!
