Kailua tops Moanalua for OIA baseball title

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

WAIPAHU — When the Kailua High School baseball team rains hits on the opposition, it pours.

Kamaile Santos pitched Kailua to the OIA title with a complete-game, 11-strikeout performance against Moanalua. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

Kailua finished its three-game OIA tournament run with 37 runs. The Surfriders beat Leilehua, 12-6, in the quarterfinals and routed Pearl City, 16-2, in the semifinals.

"These guys enjoy playing in big games," Kailua coach Corey Ishigo said. "I knew the hits would come. I just wanted it to be done earlier."

For the first three innings last night, Surfriders starter Kamaile Santos was locked in a pitching duel with Moanalua's Kyle Nakamichi.

The Menehune took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Jim Strombach's RBI single. The lead stood until the bottom of the fourth, when Kailua pounded out eight hits and sent 13 batters to the plate.

Jarid Kawamoto had a two-run single and Travis Hayashida, Santos and Derek Yonamine each drove in a run with singles.

"I knew our offense was going to come through," Santos said. "We've been putting a lot of runs on the board the last three games."

The 8-1 lead was more than enough for Santos, who finished with 11 strikeouts in a complete-game effort.

Moanalua banged out 10 hits, but did not score again until the seventh inning.

"This was the best game (Santos) has pitched all season," Ishigo said. "He always wants the ball in big games."

Kailua added a run in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by Kawika Kekaula.

Down 9-1, Moanalua started a rally in the seventh when Abe Manutai, Strombach, Lorin Nakagawa and Stephen Green put together singles.

Ric Fukushima then had an RBI ground out.

But Santos got the final out on a grounder to third.

Santos said he relied on off-speed pitches, especially his slider to keep the Menehune off balance.

"I was changing my look on them so they couldn't get a good jump off the bases," Santos said.

With the 8-1 lead, Santos said, "I just had to throw strikes and let the defense do its job."

Kyle Nakamichi, Geoffrey Say (4), Lorin Nakagawa (4), Scott Batula (6) and Nakagawa, Brett Tanigawa (4). Kamaile Santos and Cody Texeira-Vickery.

Leading hitters: Moanalua—Abe Manutai 2-4; Jim Strombach 2-4; Ric Fukushima 2-4, RBI. Kailua—Travis Hayashida 2-4, 1 RBI; Jory Pearce 3-4, 2 RBIs; Kawika Kekaula 2-3, 1 RBI; Santos 2-3, double, 1 RBI.

• Pearl City 12, Kaiser 2: The Chargers earned the OIA's third and final state tournament berth by winning a game shortened to six innings by the 10-run mercy rule.

Pearl City took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on Erik Mizoshiri's two-run single, but Kaiser tied it in the top of the second on Ian Matsuda's squeeze bunt and Jason Peters' steal of home.

The Chargers moved ahead for good with two runs in the bottom of the second. Gavin Concepcion tripled for the go-ahead run and Brandon Yamamoto singled to score the other.

Pearl City added single runs in the third and fourth innings on RBI singles by Chad Itokazu and Mizoshiri.

The Chargers then ended any suspense with a six-run sixth — spiced by Derrick Tanigawa's two- run double.

Jason Peters, Tommy Kam (4), Todd Nishihira (6) and Nathan Ota. Chad Itokazu and Gavin Concepcion.

Leading hitters: Pearl City— Erik Mizoshiri 4-4, 4 RBIs; Concepcion 3-4, double, triple, 1 RBI; Jonathan Serapion 3-4, 3 runs, 1 RBI; Blane Kagamida 3-4, triple, 1 RBI.