Posted on: Sunday, May 20, 2001
High Schools
Kailua wins state baseball
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
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| Mid-Pacific pitcher Justin Pate started against Kailua in the state championship game.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser |
In one of the most dramatic comebacks in state baseball tournament history, Kailua High School rallied from an 8-2 deficit to defeat Mid-Pacicific, 9-8, for the championship at Aloha Stadium last night.
The Surfriders ralled for six runs in the sixth inning to tie it before winning it with two outs in the bottom of the seventh on Jarid Kawamoto's RBI single that scored Mike Cathcart from third base.
For the O'ahu Interscholastic Association champion Surfriders, it is their first state baseball title since 1969.
"This is my high school, and as players we always tried to do it, but never could," said coach Corey Ishigo, a 1991 Kailua graduate and former University of Hawai'i standout. "This feels good."
The victory was as sweet for Kailua as it was bitter for Mid-Pacific, the Interscholastic League of Honolulu champions and No. 1 seed. Either way the outcome left the Aloha Stadium crowd of 1,799 in shock.
The Owls (17-4) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. But the third-seeded Surfriders (14-2) answered with two runs in the bottom half.
MPI, however, kept adding to its lead over the next three innings, while shutting Kailua down.
It was 5-2 in the second, 7-2 in the third and 8-2 in the fourth as the Owls took advantage of nine hits and four Surfrider errors.
"Some of the guys were down," Kawamoto said. "I was down. Mid-Pacific is such a great team; they're super good. But (Ishigo) tried to pump us up."
Ishigo said he noticed his team's mood, but kept the faith.
"I told them they've worked too hard to give up now," Ishigo said.
The Kailua bats, which had produced a total of 37 runs in three OIA tournament games, and 15 runs in two previous state tournament games, finally came alive in the sixth ining.
Four of the first five Surfriders produced singles, and they added three more hits after a Mid-Pacific error. Chris Ching's two-run single was the big blow, and Cody Texiera-Vickery's RBI single scored Ching to tie it at 8.
After Kailua reliever Kamaile Santos escaped a jam with two runners on in the top of the seventh, the Surfriders loaded the bases in the bottom half on an error, a walk and a single. MPI had gotten two outs on a sacrifice bunt and a short fly to right field.
Then, on a 0-1 count, Kawamoto stroked a sharp grounder to center field to easily score Cathcart.
"The boys hung around. They kept banging and banging," Ishigo said. "Our guys sucked it up playing out of position, and doing whatever it took."
Ishigo then tapped on his heart. "It came from in here," he said.
Semifinals • Kailua 8, St. Joseph 2: The St. Joseph School baseball team did not leave Aloha Stadium with a championship yesterday, but the Cardinals did take home some nice parting gifts — wonderment, a top-four showing and a strong desire to return.
Kailua beat St. Joseph at Aloha Stadium in the semifinals of the Wally Yonamine Foundation Hawai'i High School Athletic Association State Baseball Championships.
The Cardinals (8-3), Big Island Interscholastic Federation runner-up, took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on Ronnie Carvalho's RBI single, but the Surfriders scored two runs in each of the second and third innings and added single runs in the fourth and fifth to go up, 6-1.
St. Joseph scored one run in the sixth on an error, but a double-play killed that rally and Kailua tacked on two more runs in the bottom half.
Despite the loss, the Cardinals were pleased with their best showing in the tournament. It was St. Joseph's first state tournament appearance since 1965.
"The kids did really well," St. Joseph coach Gary Ahu said. "They're like a family."
The Cardinals were excited to take part in the tournament, but they were extra pumped after upsetting No. 2 seed Baldwin, 4-3, before a packed house at Hans L'Orange Park in Waipahu on Friday night. The energy level rose after the team arrived at 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium yesterday afternoon to face the Surfriders, who are the reigning two-time Oahu Interscholastic Association champions.
"I was nervous (on Friday), and that was just at Hans L'Orange," said senior pitcher James Onaga, who recorded 12 strikeouts against Baldwin. "When I walked into (Aloha) Stadium, I was like, 'Whoah.'"
But the Cardinals were not so awestruck as to be intimidated.
"We were happy to be here, but we wanted to win as much as we could," Onaga said. "We beat Baldwin, and when we saw Kailua, we thought we could beat them, too. But we just made a couple mistakes."
Errors led to two Kailua runs, and St. Joseph stranded seven baserunners.
But with only four players graduating and 12 expected to return, the Cardinals are looking forward to making a return appearance in 2002.
"They should be even more hungry next year," Onaga said.
• Mid-Pacific 9, Moanalua 0: Ryan Basco pitched a four-hitter, striking out five and walking one to lead the Owls into the championship game.
Basco, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, did not allow a runner past second base.
Mid-Pacific took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI ground out by Clint Copulos. The Owls added three runs in the fifth on Copulos' RBI single and a two-run single by Kevin Khan.
Mid-Pacific scored five runs in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by Kyle Yanabu, another RBI single by Copulos, Troy Hanzawa's two-run single and an error.
Copulos was 3-for-4, including three RBIs. Isaac Omura had two doubles for the Owls.
