Ryno Acosta pitched a seven-hitter with 10 strikeouts and Jason Rasa had three hits and two RBIs as Pearl City defeated host Bangor, Maine, 11-5, yesterday in the Little League Senior (ages 15-16) World Series.

Pearl City, which improved to 4-0 in the 10-team tournament, will play Freehold Township, N.J. (3-1) in a semifinal game today.

Rasa doubled in two runs in the first when Pearl City took a 3-0 lead. Jeffrey Domingo and Cody Sugitaya hit RBI singles in a four-run third for Pearl City.

Two wild pitches, an error and a groundout scored the final four Pearl City runs — two in the fourth and two in the sixth.

Kellen Ushijima scored three runs and Shannon Liu scored twice for Pearl City.

JUNIOR WORLD SERIES

PEARL CITY LOSES FIRST

Pearl City's first loss in the Little League Junior (ages 13-14) World Series may prove to be a costly one.

East Lake, Fla., scored seven runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat Pearl City, 12-7, at Taylor, Mich.

The teams, both with 3-1 records in the 10-team tournament, play again today for the U.S. championship.

However, Pearl City may be without shortstop Alika Pruett, who was injured while making a diving tag in the sixth inning last night. Pruett, one of the team's top pitchers, was taken to a hospital and his status for today was not certain.

Bryson Nakamura had two hits, including a home run, and three RBIs, and Jordan Casarez had two hits and one RBI.

RIPKEN WORLD SERIES

O'AHU IN U.S. SEMIFINAL

Ryan Cortez hit a two-run homer as O'ahu defeated Calvert County, Md., 8-5, yesterday in the Cal Ripken (ages 12-under) World Series at Aberdeen, Md.

O'ahu, which improved to 4-0 in the 15-team tournament, will play Bronx, N.Y. (3-1) in a U.S. semifinal game today. Lexington, Ky. (3-1) meets Willamette Valley, Ore. (3-1) in the other U.S. semifinal. Mexico (4-0) heads the international division.

Cortez batted 2 for 2, the only O'ahu hitter with two hits. Chris Sekiguchi and Jake Fujimoto each had an RBI to help O'ahu rally from a 4-1 deficit.