MAKAWAO — Briell Hong had a wide smile on her face under the midday sun at Eddie Tam Little League Field No. 6 on Tuesday.

The rising Kamehameha Schools Maui 7th-grader is headed to the Hawaii State Little League Majors (11-12) tournament — set for July 21-25 on Oahu — with her Central Maui Little League All-Star team after they finished off an impressive run to the Maui County tournament title.

Hong had a single and scored twice in her team’s 18-2 win over West Maui in the championship game — in three games in the District 3 tournament, Central outscored their opponents 55-4.

“It’s very cool because you get to hang around with your team, you get to swim at the pool, like, I love it so much,” Hong said of her anticipation of the state trip.

Her older brother, Bransyn Hong, was on the 2019 Central East Maui team that became the first from the Valley Isle to make it to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., advancing all the way to the U.S. championship game.

“You have to be really talking on defense because once your team falls behind on defense the guys get down on themselves and it’s really hard to make an out,” Briell Hong said of the advice she received from her older brother, who recently finished his sophomore season as a middle infielder on the Kamehameha Maui varsity squad.

Briell Hong has a blast with her teammates, especially when she is on the mound at practice.

“It’s very fun because I’m the only girl on the team and then when I make them strike out they look funny,” she said.

Nine CMLL players collected hits on Tuesday to pace their 13-hit attack. Noah Mathias was 3 for 3 with two doubles, two runs and two RBIs. Brextyn Hong, Briell’s younger brother, and Kolby Sergent were each 2 for 2 — Brextyn Hong scored twice, knocked in three and had a double.

Josiah Yamada added a double, while Mathias, Kanon Nakama-Ribao and Jaxon Delos Santos combined on a one-hitter on the mound for the Maui County champions.

Central was in total command in the championship game after scoring nine runs in the top of the first inning. CMLL manager Van Delos Santos is a former standout at Maui High School and Washington State and is still competitive in AJA play.

“The hopes for the state tournament is just go up there and give it our best shot and just battle to the end, see how we can represent Central Maui the best we can,” Van Delos Santos said. “At the Hawaii state champs, hopefully we just give it a nice run. Once we reach the state tournament it’s going to be a battle, a lot of great teams, just represent District 3 the best we can.”

Delos Santos knows his impressive youngsters will be in for a battle at the state tournament. Honolulu Little League won the LLWS world championship last season, the organization’s second title in five years.

“Honolulu is always loaded, Kauai, Big Island, you know, hopefully we show up and give it a battle,” Delos Santos said.

Leon Gomes, a coach for West Maui, was proud of the way his team battled back to the final in the double-elimination event with three straight wins after an opening loss.

“Central is a pretty tough team, they battled, put the ball in play, defense is sound, great ball club,” Gomes said of the county champions. “I think if they get past, through the state tournament they can make it far.

“We battled until the end, came out with a loss in the first game and then battled our way back to the championship game. They battled, they dug deep and ended up here.”

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.

Central Maui 909–18 13 x

West Maui 101– 2 1 x

Noah Mathias, Kanon Nakama-Ribao (3), Jaxon Delos Santos (3) and Ayden Anderson; Delaney Dagupion, Logan Keanini-Sumida (1), Trey Branco-Gomes (3) and Tydus Nahooikaika. W–Mathias. L–Dagupion.

Leading hitters–Central Maui: Mathais 3-3. 2 runs, 2 RBIs, 2 2B; Josiah Yamada 2B, run, RBI; Brextyn Hong 2-2, 2 runs, 3 RBIs, 2B; Kolby Sergent 2-2, run, 2 RBIs, Kaden Grancha run, 2 RBIs; Briell Hong 2 runs; Evan Tavares 2 runs.