Moleta's one-hitter lifts 'Aiea, 2-0
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
'Aiea High School junior Blaze Moleta pitched a one-hitter yesterday, helping Na Ali'i to a 2-0 victory at Wai'anae in a meeting of unbeaten teams in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association's Western Division.
'Aiea (5-0) will face the West's only other undefeated team, Pearl City (5-0-1), in another road game Wednesday. Na Ali'i also still has Mililani (5-1), Waipahu (2-2-1), Campbell (4-1) and Leilehua (3-2) left to play. Wai'anae is 4-1.
"We wanted to get through today, because if we lost it would make it harder for us to go far," Moleta said.
Moleta helped 'Aiea clear yesterday's hurdle by allowing only one hit — Michael Ferreira's clean single to center field with one out in the fifth inning. Moleta struck out six, walked one and hit one batter.
"I just wanted to throw strikes and get ahead," Moleta said. "I threw mostly curves all day, and I started to get comfortable with it later. The defense really helped me out, too."
Na Ali'i committed two errors, but they also caught a runner stealing second and turned a double play to end the game.
"That catcher (Aaron Asher) really neutralizes everything with his arm," Seariders coach Kekoa Kaluhiolani said. "He just shuts down your running game."
Moleta did his part by retiring the side in order in the first, second, fourth and sixth innings. He struck out the side in the sixth and induced the double play grounder in the seventh.
"That's the heart and soul of our team, pitching and defense," 'Aiea coach Ryan Kato said. "The key for Blaze was getting his off-speed pitches over for strikes, because Wai'anae can hit the fastball. Our intent was to keep them off-balanced."
Na Ali'i hope to stay on track while navigating the toughest part of their schedule.
"I told the guys the good thing for us is we control our own destiny," Kato said. "We have direct control over what happens (in the title chase), and you don't always have that."
'Aiea (5-0) 001 001 0 — 2 8 1
Wai'anae (4-1) 000 000 0 — 0 1 4
Blaze Moleta and Aaron Asher; Clayton Uyechi, Chevy Teves and Michael Ferreira. W — Moleta. L — Uyechi.
Leading hitters: 'Aiea — Asher 3-3; Taylor Watanabe 2-4, Lance Powell 1-3, double. Wai'anae — Ferreira 1-2.
• PEARL CITY 13, NANAKULI 2: Chad Itozaku went 3-for-4 and scored three runs as Pearl City routed host Nanakuli.
Scott Yasumoto, Ren Acosta and Nolan Kugiya also had three hits each for the Chargers.
Tony Ganigan pitched a complete game, striking out eight, walking four and allowing five hits.
Pearl City (4-0-1) 020 034 4—13 14 2
Nanakuli (0-6) 011 000 0— 2 5 3
Tony Ganigan and Kyle Poentis. Michael Nakagawa and Nathan Kaehu. W—Ganigan. L—Nakagawa.
Leading hitters: Pearl City—Chad Itozaku 3-4, triple, 3 runs; Scott Yasumoto 3-4, double, triple; Devin Fukunaga double; Ren Acosta 3-5, 3 doubles; Nolan Kugiya 3-4, 2 doubles, triple. Nanakuli—Joseph Wilkins 2-4, triple.
• CAMPBELL 19, RADFORD 8: The Sabers scored seven runs on five hits in the third inning, including two doubles, en route to a victory over the host Rams.
Campbell had 14 hits, including five triples. Bill Tennent was 4-for-5, including a double and triple for the Sabers.
Campbell (4-1) 127 004 5—19 14 3
Radford (0-6) 000 521 0— 8 7 4
Channon Coloma, James Banister (5), Prentiss Anderson (7) and Kendall Hodson. Matt Ryan, Chad Afi (7) and Andrew Pera. W—Coloma. L—Ryan.
Leading hitters: Campbell— Bill Tennent 4-5, double, triple; Jonah Canionero 2-4, triple; Anderson 3-5, triple; Tristan Bailey 2-5, double, triple; Banister triple. Radford—Greg Suwa 2-4, 2 doubles; Ryan 2-3, double, homer.
OIA EAST
• KAILUA 8, MCKINLEY 4: Bronson Kamaka had a two-run single in the top of the 15th inning to score the Surfriders' go-ahead runs, and help Kailua remain undefeated in the OIA Eastern Division.
McKinley committed three errors in the inning, and all of Kailua's four runs in the 15th were unearned.
Kamaka picked up the win after entering the game in the eighth inning. He got out of a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the bottom of the 10th inning with a triple play.
Shaun Sasaki had four hits for Kailua and Jarren Hirasaki had four hits for McKinley.
Kailua (6-0) 8 16 3
McKinley (0-6) 4 13 5
(Score by innings not available)
Michael Kealoha, Bronson Kamaka (8) and Ho'o Obed. Kai Kaino, Jarren Hirasaki (8), Devin Okinaga (13) and Andy Mitani. W—Kamaka. L—Okinaga.
Leading hitters: Kailua—Shaun Sasaki 4-8, double; Kealoha 3-6, triple; Kekoa Sua 2-7, double; Kamaka 2 RBIs. McKinley—Hirasaki 4-7; Reed Tamashiro 2-6; Micah Yonemura 2-6; Wayne Solaita double.
• KAHUKU 7, ROOSEVELT 6: The Red Raiders scored four runs in the top of the fifth and handed Roosevelt its first loss of the season.
Walker Vave was 3-for-4, including a double and three RBIs for Kahuku.
Kahuku (4-1) 000 340 0—7 5 2
Roosevelt (4-1) 101 040 0—6 8 4
Melvin Silva and Alex Ponciano. Ricky Eusebio Cameron Kimura (5), Kaimi Mead (5) and Kevin Fujii. W—Silva. L—Eusebio.
Leading hitters: Kahuku—Aaron Manutai 3-4, double, 3 RBIs; Josh Bohnet 3 RBIs. Roosevelt—Ivan Fujii 2-4, double; Kimura 2-4, 2 doubles; Jared Furtado double, 2 RBIs.
• MOANALUA 8, KAIMUKI 7: Chad Daskanskas scored the winning run on an infield error as the Menehunes rallied in the seventh to beat the Bulldogs.
Moanalua's Brett Tanigawa tied the game with a lead-off homer in the seventh.
Moanalua (3-2) 000 033 2—8 5 2
Kaimuki (1-5) 331 000 0—7 9 2
Andrew Blomberg, Ryan Wallsinger (2) and Brett Tanigawa. Wilford Shiprit, Erick Leong (6), Baba Kaluna (7) and Janson Hew. W—Wallsinger. L—Kaluna.
Leading hitters: Moanalua— Glenn Taijeron double, 4 RBIs; Tanigawa homer, 2 RBIs; Donavon Souza 2 runs; Dayne Dela Cruz 2-4, 2 runs. Kaimuki—Jay Tokuuke 2 runs; Tony Mitani 2-3, 3 RBIs; Tyson Seto-Mook homer, 2 RBIs; Hew double, 2 runs; Desmond Johnston 2-3.
• KALAHEO 5, FARRINGTON 4: The Mustangs scored three runs on three hits and two Farrington errors in the seventh.
With runners on first and second, pitcher Kalani Lingo ended Farrington's rally by getting a pop out to first to end the game.
Kalaheo (5-1) 020 000 3—5 8 0
Farrington (1-4) 101 001 1—4 9 4
Kalani Lingo and Jake Miking. Brian Cabral Royce Merchado (7), Joseph Gabrillo. W—Lingo. L— Merchado.
Leading hitters: Kalaheo—Sean Fernandez 2-4; Colby Racoma double; Miking double; Aaron Louis 2-3. Farrington—Matt Bell 2-3, triple; Gabrillo 2-3, double, 3 RBIs; Davin Alexander 2-3, double.
OIA junior varsity
Mililani 16, Kapolei 6
ILH
• IOLANI 15, MID-PACIFIC 14: Kala Ka'aihue hit a grand slam in the bottom of a nine-run sixth inning for the Raiders in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu game at Ala Wai Field.
Mid-Pacific's Marc Inamasu answered with a grand slam in a five-run seventh, but the Owls' rally fell short.
Mid-pacific (4-5-1) 010 305 5—14 15 1
Iolani (9-1) 003 219 X—15 11 2
Grant Yamaguchi, Blake Kaneshiro (3), Jayson Kramer (6) and Jeffrey Mizokawa. Sean Freas, Eric Muraoka (4), Dustin Goto (6), Wally Marciel (6), Kahiwa Letman (7) and Kala Ka'aihue. W—Marciel. L—Kaneshiro. S—Letman.
Leading hitters: Mid-Pacific—Ryan Leong 3-5, double, 2 runs; Marc Inamasu 2-4, home run, 5 RBIs; 2 runs; Jon Hee 2-4, double, 2 runs; Keven Whalen 3-4, double, home run, 3 runs; Kaneshiro 2-3. Iolani—Galen Komo 3-4, 2 RBIs, 3 runs; Ka'aihue home run, 4 RBIs; Letman 2-4, double; Darin Yamashita 2-3, double, 2 RBIs; Shawn Agustin 2-2, 3 runs.
• PUNAHOU 5, SAINT LOUIS 3: Kasey Ko went 3-for-3 and Mark Veneri hit a two-run single in the third inning as the Buffanblu downed the Crusaders.
Saint Louis (4-5-1) 100 200 0—3 3 0
Punahou (7-3) 002 111 X—5 10 1
Ed Apostol, Mike Grado (5) and Jowen Murray-Thornton. Shaun Kiriu, Landon Nakata (7) and Michael Kim. W—Kiriu. L— Apostol.
Leading hitters: Saint Louis—Pono Moises double. Punahou—Kasey Ko 3-3; Mark Veneri 2 RBIs; Bucky Aona 2-3.
• KAMEHAMEHA 16, DAMIEN 0: The Warriors improved to 8-2, while the Monarchs dropped to 2-7-1 at Ala Wai Field. Details of the game were not reported.
• PAC-FIVE 8, MARYKNOLL 7: The Wolfpack improved to 4-5-1 and the Spartans dropped to 0-10 in a game at Ala Wai Field. Details of the game were not reported.
MIL
• BALDWIN 12, LAHAINALUNA 2: J.J. Eno was 4-for-5, including three doubles and had five RBIs as Baldwin remained unbeaten in the Maui Interscholastic League at Iron Maehara Stadium in Wailuku.
Lahainaluna took a 2-0 first inning before the Bears scored 12 unanswered runs in the last three innings.
• KING KEKAULIKE 17, KA'AHUMANU HOU 2: Ivan Mende went 4-for-4 and Nick Pisciotto was 3-for-3 to lead King Kekaulike's 16-hit offense.
• MAUI 10, ST. ANTHONY 4: Curtis Russell went 2-for-3, including two doubles and had two RBIs as Maui remained unbeaten.
BIIF
• WAIAKEA 20, HAWAI'I PREP 0: Myles Ioane and Ronnie Loeffler combined for a two-hit, five-inning shutout of host Ka Makani in a Big Island Interscholastic Federation game.
Correction: The records of several Interscholastic League of Honolulu baseball teams were incorrectly reported in a previous version of this story. The correct standings are:
W L T
Iolani 9 1 0
Kamehameha 8 2 0
Punahou 7 3 0
Mid-Pacific 4 5 1
Pac-Five 4 5 1
Saint Louis 4 5 1
Damien 2 7 1
Maryknoll 0 10 0
Also, Aaron Manutai went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs in Kahuku's 7-6 victory over Roosevelt on Saturday. A different player was credited with his statistics.
