Things were looking pretty bleak for Kane'ohe National when it entered the bottom of the sixth and final inning behind by three runs yesterday against Kaimuki.

But Kane'ohe National jumped on the merry-go-round and didn't get off until it had a 5-4 victory on the second-to-last day of the Little League Majors (ages 11-12) State Tournament at Freedom Field in Barbers Point.

Kaimuki, which led 4-1 entering the bottom of the sixth, walked in four runs with the winning run scoring when Kalei Davis drew ball four on a 3-1 pitch to force in Jarvis Castro-Lonzaga.

Kane'ohe National will face Waipi'o in today's championship game at 1 p.m. Kane'ohe National will need to beat undefeated Waipi'o twice for the title.

"It's unfortunate the pitcher couldn't throw strikes," Kane'ohe National coach Jeff Akamine said. "I feel bad for that pitcher, but at the same time I'm proud of Kane'ohe National. They didn't give up and that was important to the coaches, and the parents and the supporters."

In the sixth, Kane'ohe National loaded the bases with no outs on Michael Pang's double, Kalen Hamada's infield single and a walk to Danny Kong.

Pinch-hitter Micah Camara lined out to third for the first out. Castro-Lonzaga walked on a full-count pitch to force in a run, and No. 9 hitter Travis Teramae had a 1-0 count when Kaimuki made a pitching change.

Teramae drew a walk, forcing in Hamada and making it 4-3.

The next Kane'ohe batter struck out for the second out of the inning. Eric Akamine then drew a walk on four pitches to force in the tying run and Davis also walked to end the game.

"Right before the game started we told them that no one play, no one pitch, no one inning and no player is going to make us lose a game, not going to make us win a game," Kaimuki coach Gerald Oda said. "The game is going to be won from the first pitch to the last pitch. Unfortunately, our pitcher walked in the last run, but that didn't cost us the game."

Akamine told his team to take a patient approach in the final inning.

"I told them we have to take one (strike)," he said. "Make sure we don't lose the game by swinging at bad pitches. So we were taking one and that paid off at the very end."

Eric Akamine, the coach's son, picked up the win with a perfect sixth inning.

Kaimuki took a 4-0 lead in the second, highlighted by Reid Kimura's three-run homer to left.

"Whenever you can jump to a lead early in this type of format you can always get a lot of momentum, and hopefully that's enough to carry you through the end of game," Oda said. "But unfortunately, that wasn't enough. Again, we just ran out of gas in the last inning."

Hamada doubled in Davis in the third to make it 4-1.

Waipi'o, which is 3-0 in the double-elimination tournament, beat Kane'ohe National, 5-4, on Sunday.

"I'm looking forward to meeting Waipi'o again," said Davis, who struck out eight over five innings yesterday.

KAIMUKI 040 000—4 4 1

KANE'OHE NATIONAL 001 004—5 7 3

2 outs when winning run scored.

Reece Foy, Reid Kimura (2), Jake Fujimoto (3), DeShawn Duncan-Benson (6) and Noa Gardner. Kalei Davis, Eric Akamine (6) and Michael Pang. W—Akamine. L—Fujimoto

Leading hitters: Kaimuki—Kimura 3-run homer. Kane'ohe: Pang double; Kalen Hamada 2-3, double; Jarvis Castro-Lonzaga double.

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.