Hilo’s Mustang 9 All-Stars maintained a strict no-swim policy on Kauai for the state PONY baseball tournament. The idea, coach Shon Malani said, was to keep the focus on baseball.
While Hilo Gold stayed away from the water, it was also no day at the beach for the competition.
Malani’s youngsters slugged their way to their third state title Tuesday, clubbing five home runs to overwhelm Central Oahu 21-1.
“It was all business,” Malani said. “We had a goal.
“For 9-year-olds, I would say it was impressive. It was nice to see these kids play like they are capable.