A Japanese father-and-son team yesterday won the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament off Kailua, Kona.

Captain Kihachiro Suzuki and Tetsuzo Suzuki of Kona Game Fishing Club-Bellhope scored 1,643 points with five Pacific Blue marlin and one ahi.

Old South Marlin Club #4 of North Carolina was second with 1,550, while Malibu Marlin Club of California was third with 1,467 points.

Points are tallied every time an angler catches a fish. Bigger fish merit more points.

David Bertuleit of Kona Safari earned the Henry Chee Award as the captain of the boat with the most number of billfish points scored.

Sam Spinello, a 78-year-old from Lizard, Australia, had the biggest catch, a 567-pound Pacific blue marlin on Wednesday. Spinello fished with Malibu Marlin Club.

Ninety-eight Pacific Blue marlin and 30 short-nose spearfish were tagged and released. Seven Pacific Blue marlin, one striped marlin and five ahi were boated.

Forty-one teams competed in the five-day tournament, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.

BASEBALL

ELDREDGE CLINIC SET

The sixth annual Eldredge Athletics Baseball Clinic is scheduled for Aug. 1 at the Punahou School baseball field.

The clinic runs from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Registration is limited to 80 players ages 9 to 15. Cost is $65, which includes a T-shirt and lunch. Teams or groups of 10 or more players can register together for a group discount of $60 per player.

Applications are available at www.eballclinics.com.

Anyone interested in helping or sponsoring may contact Duane Eldredge at eldredgeathletics@yahoo.com or call 386-5386.

MAUI FALLS IN SEMIS

Thousand Oaks, Calif., defeated Maui, 7-1, in Thursday's semifinals of the Little League Big League (ages 16-18) West Regional at Bremerton, Wash.

Isaiah Diaz had two hits, including a double, and Mike Diaz also had two hits for Maui.

Thousand Oaks reached the championship game against Las Vegas, which beat Arizona, 8-7, in the semfinals.

Arizona beat Maui, 4-0, yesterday to finish fourth.

SOFTBALL

HPU TO HOLD CLINICS

The Hawai'i Pacific softball team will hold two free three-day clinics next month and September at Howard A. Okita Field at HPU's Windward Hawai'i Loa Campus.

HPU coaches and players will conduct the clinics.

The sessions are 1 to 5 p.m. on Aug. 16, 23 and 30 and Sept. 6, 13 and 20.

The clinics are open to ages 14 to 18 and to the first 30 to sign up.

For details, contact Howard Okita at 221-6965 or hokita@hpu.edu.

DINNER FOR PERREIRA

Tickets are available for a retirement dinner for University of Hawai'i-Hilo softball coach Callen Perreira on Aug. 1 in the UHH campus center dining room.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $12.50 for children (9-under) and available from the UHH athletic office or make checks payable to Hui Kakoo Pohili and mail to UH Hilo Athletics, 200 W. Kawili St., Hilo, HI 97620-4091.

Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by a program. Doors open at 4 p.m. for no-host cocktails.

Perreira is stepping down on July 31 after a 20-year career with the Vulcan program, compiling a 581-344-3 record.

For more information, call Glen Kagamida at 974-7543 or e-mail glenk@hawaii.edu.

SOCCER

HPU SIGNS FUERTE

The Hawai'i Pacific men's soccer team has signed Ikaika Fuerte, an Advertiser all-state player from Kapa'a High School.

Fuerte was the Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation Player of the Year and led Kapa'a to the Division II state championship this year. He was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.