Mid-Pacific earns state berth
By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer
Mid-Pacific is going to Maui next week to defend its state baseball title, but Owls coach Dunn Muramaru doesn't see it that way.
Mid-Pacific beat Iolani, 9-4, last night at Ala Wai Field in a playoff for the Interscholastic League of Honolulu's second state tournament berth.
Mid-Pacific (12-8-1) and Kamehameha (16-3) will represent the ILH in the Wally Yonamine Foundation State Tournament at Iron Maehara Stadium, May 14-17.
"We're not defending our title, we're just going to go back and play in the states," Muramaru said. "That was last year. There is no such thing as defending a title."
Kamehameha won the league's regular-season and double-elimination tournament titles to force last night's playoff between Mid-Pacific, the tournament runner-up, and Iolani, the regular-season runner-up.
Last night, the Owls used a six-run second inning and the complete-game pitching of Harrison Kuroda to down Iolani (12-7).
In the second, the Owls sent 12 batters to the plate, banged out four hits and benefitted from three fielding errors, two walks and a hit batsman. They added three more runs in the sixth.
Iolani starter Sean Freas used five pitches to retire the Owls in order in the first, but he faced eight batters in the second and recorded only two outs before being replaced by Wally Marciel.
The Raiders' middle infield booted two grounders and a single got by the left fielder in the inning.
"That's baseball, you're going to make physical errors," Iolani coach Dean Yonamine said. "Anyone who plays the game knows that you're going to make errors. You need to bounce back."
Kuroda scattered nine hits, walked two and struck out three.
He held Iolani scoreless through four innings, but allowed two runs each in the fifth and sixth innings.
"There were a couple times when he could have cracked, but he'd make a big pitch," Muramaru said.
Kuroda didn't allow a runner to reach second base until two outs in the fifth. He threw 109 pitches, 71 for strikes.
In the final three innings, he threw 70 pitches, gave up six hits and recorded all of his walks and strikeouts.
"I try to make the guys hit as long as it doesn't go out of the park," Kuroda said.
He benefitted from inning-ending double plays in the first and third innings, and a defense that committed only one error.
The Owls' Ryan Leong batted 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Keven Whalen went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. Eleven of Mid-Pacific's 12 hits were singles.
Muramaru said he was a bit surprised Mid-Pacific is going back to the state tournament.
"Two weeks ago we weren't doing that well and it would have been far out there to get to go back to the state tournament," he said. "We were just hoping to do well in the (ILH) tournament. Luckily, we finished second and had a chance to go."
Mid-Pacific's previous game was Tuesday, an 11-5 loss to Kamehameha in the tournament final.
Iolani was eliminated from the tournament April 30 by Mid-Pacific and wasn't sure if it would play again until Kamehameha beat Mid-Pacific.
When asked if the layoff hurt his team, Yonamine said: "No, not at all. Give Mid-Pac credit, that's why they're the defending state champs."
Iolani's Shawn Agustin and Bert Mitsunaga each drove in two runs.
IOLANI (12-7) 000 022 0 — 4 9 3
MID-PACIFIC (12-8-1) 060 003 0 — 9 12 1
Sean Freas, Wally Marciel (2), Eric Muraoka (6), Dustin Goto (7) and Kala Ka'aihue. Harrison Kuroda and Kip Masuda. W—Kuroda. L—Freas.
Leading hitters: Iol—Shawn Agustin double, 2 RBIs; Kelly Teramoto 2-4, double; Ka'aihue 2-4, double; Bert Mitsunaga 2-3, double, 2 RBIs. MPI—Ryan Leong 3-5, 2 RBIs, 2 runs; Keven Whalen 3-4, double, 2 RBIs, 2 runs; Ryan Asato 2 RBIs; Marc Inamasa 3-4.
