Brextyn Kamaha’o Hong of the West team celebrates after scoring against the Mid-Atlantic team during the first inning of the game Tuesday afternoon at Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport. The West Region team won 3-1. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT– Evan Tavares continues his using his left arm to create pitching masterpieces.

And Wailuku, Hawaii continues moving on at the Little League World Series. Tavares threw his latest gem and Kanon Nakama earned the save, stranding the tying runners in the sixth inning as Wailuku defeated Newtown, Pennsylvania, 3-1 Tuesday at Lamade Stadium in a Series elimination game.

Wailuku scored two first-inning runs and took a 3-0 lead into the sixth before Tavares reached his 85-pitch limit with one out.

From there, Nakama delivered under pressure, fighting back from a walk that put the tying runner on base and ending the game by striking out Pennsylvania’s lead-off hitter.

“I just had to throw strikes and let the defense work,” Nakama said. “It (experience) helps because I was in it before and I know how to get out of it.”

So does Tavares. Not that he is in trouble a lot, but in each of his last two first innings, Tavares has stranded five runners.

Tavares improved to 3-0 at the Series this year and still has not allowed an earned run all summer while helping Wailuku secure a

spot in Wednesday’s U.S. Semifinals against the winner of Tuesday night’s New York-Florida game.

“After the first inning I felt way more comfortable,” Tavares said. “I was throwing more strikes.”

Tavares has been sensational this summer. He’s not allowed an earned run in 41 1/3 innings and surpassed 100 strikeouts, upping his total to 102. Like his last outing against Illinois, Tavares experienced some first-inning hiccups but stranded two runners and dominated from there. The 12-year old retired nine straight batters after allowing a lead-off single in the second.

Nobody has touched Tavares at the Series. In addition to going 3-0, Tavares also has not allowed an earned run in his 14 1/3 innings and has struck out 28.

Wailuku scored all the runs it needed in the first inning, immediately putting pressure on a Pennsylvania team that knew runs would be hard to come by. Gauge Pacheco drew a lead-off walk, Brextyn Kamaha’o Hong singled and Kanon Nakama hit a sacrifice fly to right field.

With two outs and runners on first and third, Wailuku perfectly executed a double steal. Hayden Takahashi had walked and broke for second forcing a throw to shortstop Dean Hamilton. Hong took off as soon as the catcher threw the ball and easily scored the game’s second run.

“Evan is awesome,” Pennsylvania manager Brad Hamilton said. “As a lefty what’s hard when you’re young is that it looks like a ball until it’s a strike. He does a wonderful job at a young age of playing the corners and not really ever giving you a chance a barrel strike to hit which is awesome at 12. We knew what we were looking for but that doesn’t make it any easier.”

Shortstop Dean Hamilton made spectacular plays in the third and fourth innings, preventing Wailuku from scoring runs each time.

But the West champions broke through and added an insurance run in the fifth. Cam Kaneshiro and Matthew Yang ignited the rally with lead-off singles before Kolten Magno walked.

Wailuku went up 3-0 on a throwing error and the way Tavares was throwing that lead might as well have been 30-0. But when Tavares reached his limit, Pennsylvania grew more optimistic.

Ryan Uhl hit a one-out double before Tavares reached his limit after collecting his 12th strikeout. Nakama was a strike from clinching the win, but Tyler Wexler fought back for a walk. Unfazed, Nakama returned strong and produced a five-pitch strikeout as Wailuku celebrated another hard-fought victory.

The offense has been slow to burn and Pennsylvania held Wailuku to six hits but that was more than enough with Tavares pitching. The challenge now is that Wailuku must reach the world final if Tavares is to pitch again.

Because he threw the maximum 85 pitches, Tavares requires four days rest by Little League rules until he can throw again.

Wailuku has to win Wednesday and Thursday to reach the U.S. Championship Saturday and if it won three straight games Tavares would be able to pitch again in Sunday’s world final.

It’s a challenge but Wailuku has conquered them all season and is looking forward to attacking this one.

“If the boys throw strikes and the bats wake up, we’ll be hard to beat,” Bolduc said. “Every team here is here for a reason. Every team is going to be tough throughout this tournament. At the end of the day, you have to get the ball to bounce your way. We have to play defense and we have to throw strikes. When you’re here you pretty much have to win all aspects of the game.”