Kailua rallies into semifinals of OIA

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

The tightly contested O'ahu Interscholastic Association baseball season stayed true to form yesterday, with three quarterfinal games decided by only one run in the winning team's final at-bat.

Blake Lamug tossed a complete-game, five-hitter in leading 'Aiea to a 1-0 victory over Mililani yesterday. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

In the only lopsided quarterfinal, West No. 2 Wai'anae routed visiting Kalani, 10-0, in six innings.

Wai'anae (9-2) travels to Kailua (10-1) and Roosevelt (8-3) will play 'Aiea (11-0) at 'Aiea Recreation Center in 4 p.m. semifinal action today. All four teams have secured state tournament berths.

In today's consolation games, also set for 4 p.m., Kalaheo (6-6) will travel to Mililani (7-5) and Pearl City (7-4-1) will play Kalani (8-4) at Kahala Field. The winners will meet at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow for the OIA's fifth and final state berth.

Kailua is the three-time defending OIA champion, but the Surfriders were one out away from being sent to the consolation round yesterday. Kekoa Sua scored the tying run from third on a wild pitch with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, and Jordan Montgomery followed with a ground single to left to score Shaun Sasaki from third with the game-winner.

Pearl City, the West's No. 4 seed, took a 3-0 lead on three hits and an error, but Kailua answered with six runs in the bottom half after sending 10 batters to the plate. Cody Teixeira Vickery started the explosion with a two-run homer over the right field fence.

Michael Kealoha later added a two-run single.

The Chargers closed it to 6-4 in the fourth on Jayson Kira's bases-loaded walk, but the Surfriders stretched it to 8-4 in the sixth on an RBI single by Bronson Ho and Keahi Goo's run-scoring groundout.

In the seventh, Pearl City rallied for four runs helped by two Kailua throwing errors. Michael Higa had an RBI grounder and Rex Yamaguchi stroked a two-run single to center with two outs to tie it at 8-8.

After the Surfriders went down in order in the bottom half, the Chargers took a 9-8 lead in the eighth when Ren Acosta walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and stole third before scoring on Corey Giammalvo's bloop single to right with two outs.

But in the bottom half, Kailua loaded the bases with one out after two hit batters and a walk. Pearl City starter Davin Nakasone then got the second out on a strikeout, but a wild pitch allowed Sua to tie the game at 9-9 and advanced Sasaki and Ho to second.

After Ryan Rodrigues was intentionally walked, Montgomery hit a sharp grounder through the 5-6 hole for the game-winner.

"Jordan is one of our better hitters, he's one of the guys I would want up there in that situation," Kailua coach Corey Ishigo said.

Chargers coach Mel Seki said he never considered removing Nakasone, who had fought through 7á tough innings.

"I thought he was throwing harder at the end than the beginning," Seki said. "It was his game, and I didn't want to take anything away from him either way. I give all our kids credit, because they played their hearts out and battled back."

Pearl City (7-4-1) 030 010 41 — 9 12 1
Kailua (10-1) 060 002 02 — 10 7 4

(Two outs when winning run scored)

Davin Nakasone and Corey Giammalvo; Chris Mahelona, Michael Kealoha (5) and Ho'o Obed. W — Kealoha. L — Nakasone.

Leading hitters: Pearl City — Rex Yamaguchi 2-4, sb, 2 RBIs; Nolan Kugiya 2-4, double; Giammalvo 2-5, RBI. Kailua — Kekoa Sua 2-3, RBI; Cody Teixeira Vickery home run, 2 RBIs.

• Wai'anae 10, Kalani 0: Chevy Teves hit a three-run home run in the third inning to help spark the Seariders. Chevy Teves shut out the Falcons, allowing two hits, with four strikeouts and one walk.

Kalani (8-4) 000 000— 0 2 3
Wai'anae (9-2) 004 303—10 11 0

Shannon Chung, Asher Tamanaha (3), Marcus Fujita (5) and Reid Pamatigan. Chevy Teves and Darryl Ohelo. W — Teves. L — Chung.

Leading hitters: Wai'anae—Keone Taaca 2-2, 3-run home run; Dillon Guzman 3-4; Teves 2-4.

• 'Aiea 1, Mililani 0: Pinch-hitter Lance Powell hit a bases-loaded single to right, scoring Aaron Sato for the go-ahead run with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning as Na Ali'i beat the Trojans. Blake Lamug allowed five hits, with seven strikeouts and no walks for a complete-game victory.

Mililani (7-5) 000 000 0 — 0 5 0
'Aiea (11-0) 000 001 X — 1 5 0

Chaz Miyashiro, Dane Mizusawa (5) and Troy Flores. Blake Lamug and Aaron Asher. W — Lamug. L — Mizusawa.

Leading hitters: Mililani—Troy Collado 2-3. 'Aiea—Jonny Sakurai triple.

• Roosevelt 7, Kalaheo 6: Kevin Fujii's sacrifice fly with one out in the bottom of the seventh lifted the Rough Riders, who squandered a 6-4 lead in the top of the inning, over the Mustangs. Ransen Kaanoi's two-run single in the top of the seventh tied the game for the Mustangs at 6.

Kalaheo (6-6) 030 001 2 — 6 5 3
Roosevelt (8-3) 000 510 1 — 7 6 1

Scott Galusha, Kurt Okamura (4) and Jacob Myking. , Kaimi Mead and Kevin Fujii. W—Mead L— Okamura

Leading hitters: Kalaheo— Ransen Kaanoi 2-3, 2 RBI. Roosevelt—Ivan Fujii 2-4, 2 RBI; Brandon Morimoto 2-4, double; Ricky Eusebio 1-2, 2 RBI.

OIA JUNIOR VARSITY

Castle 10, Wai'anae 3

Pearl City 9, Kalani 2

MIL PLAYOFFS

• Baldwin 7, Maui 5: Shevis Shima and B.J. Strahan each batted 3-for-3 for the Bears (15-3) in their victory over the Sabers (17-3) in the championship game of the Maui Interscholastic League tournament at Iron Maehara Stadium in Wailuku.

Baldwin, the MIL Tournament Champion, and Maui, the MIL regular-season champion, will play again today at 6 p.m. to determine the overall champion.

Baldwin (15-3) 000 211 3 — 7 9 3
Maui (17-3) 202 000 1 — 5 4 2

Jonathan Honda, Shevis Shima (7), Meade Tabata (7) and Tabata, Gered Mochizuki (7). Vance Otake, Joseph Kala (6), Jon Cayan (7) and Gavin Takakura. W — Honda. L — Kala. S — Tabata.

Leading hitters: Baldwin—J.J. Eno 2-3; Shima 3-3; B.J. Strahan 3-3, 3 RBIs. Maui—Andrew Nakihei triple.