Kailua rallies into state baseball semis

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

WAILUKU, Maui — In keeping with its postseason form, Kailua scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning to rally past league-rival Roosevelt, 7-3, yesterday in a quarterfinal of the Wally Yonamine Foundation State Baseball Championship tournament at Ichiro "Iron" Maehara Baseball Stadium.

Waiakea second baseman David Rodrigues tags out 'Aiea's Aaron Sato in the first inning of a quarterfinal game in Wailuku, Maui. Waiakea defeated 'Aiea, 2-1, to advance. Matthew Thayer • Maui News via AP

All through the OIA tournament, the Surfriders won in their final at-bat.

"We don't plan it that way," Kailua coach Corey Ishigo said. "But it shows our guys don't want to lose."

The rally began inauspiciously with Ryan Rodrigues singling to right-center, only to get caught in a rundown after deciding to return to first after running halfway between the bases.

But Ko'o Kamalamalama singled and pinch hitter Colins Obed walked. Michael Kealoha, whose error at shortstop accounted for two unearned runs by Roosevelt in the third inning, doubled to left-center to score pinch runner Keahi Goo to tie the game at 3.

With runners at second and third, Shaun Sakurai grounded a two-run single to left to put Kailua ahead 5-3. On the play, Sakurai caught Kailua napping and took second.

Kekoa Sua was intentionally walked and Jordan Montgomery singled to load the bases. After Sasaki was caught stealing home during a pick-off attempt at first, the other runners advanced and Cody Teixeira-Vickery walked to reload the bases. Sean Medeiros singled to drive in a run to make it 6-3 and reload the bases for Ryan Rodrigues. After a wild pitch made it 7-3, Rodrigues walked to end Mead's day. Derek Shigano came in from second base and got the final out.

Mead was charged with seven runs in 6á innings, allowing 10 hits and six walks with 12 strikeouts. When he beat Kailua, 4-1, in the regular season, he had 14 strikeouts. He entered the seventh having thrown 110 pitches. He finished at 139.

"With him, he wants the ball," Roosevelt coach Kerry Higa said of leaving Mead in despite his high pitch count and getting hit hard in the inning. "It was his game to win or lose. He's been doing it for us all year. We wanted to give him the opportunity to have the ball in his hand at the crucial time."

Roosevelt didn't go quietly in the bottom of the seventh, but didn't help itself either. Cameron Kimura reached on an error, stole second, but was gunned down trying to steal third. Daniel Taniguchi doubled and was thrown out to end the game trying to advance when Joshua Danz flied out to right fielder Kelroy Kohatsu.

One key for Kailua was Kealoha, who started the game at shortstop and drilled Mead with a solo home run to left that gave Kailua a 1-0 lead in the third inning. He came in for starter Christopher Mahelona, who went four-plus innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits and four walks with eight strikeouts.

Kealoha entered the game with no outs and runners at second and third after Kimura's RBI single put Roosevelt up 3-1 in the fifth. Kealoha hit the first batter he faced, Jared Furtado, to load the bases. But Kealoha struck out the next three batters. He followed that with scoreless sixth and seventh innings to get credit for the win.

Kealoha might have been today's starter had he not pitched yesterday. Regardless, it would be difficult for Kailua to use Kealoha even if he didn't pitch. Third baseman Jordan Montgomery, who moved to shortstop when Kealoha entered to pitch, was ejected in the five-run inning when he scored on a wild pitch. He had taunted Roosevelt after crossing the plate. By tournament rules, he is suspended for the next game, which is tonight's semifinal. Ishigo said he has no viable shortstops without Montgomery and Kealoha (if he pitches).

"We warned them before we started (the game)," Ishigo said about having his players maintain their composure because of the teams' rivalry.

Kagawa's hit lifts Waiakea by 'Aiea

Avery Kagawa's bases-loaded single with no outs in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted Waiakea over 'Aiea, 2-1, and kept the Big Island Interscholastic Federation champions undefeated for tonight's semifinal.

With the game tied at 1, Ronnie Loellfer pinch-hit for lead-off hitter David Rodrigues and grounded a single to right.

"He has hit well in his limited opportunities for us," Warriors coach Tommy Correa said.

Rodrigues re-entered the game as a pinch-runner and took second on a balk and advanced to third on a fielder's choice bunt by Owen Otsuka, who reached first safely when pitcher Nelson Ha'o's throw to third was late. Shannon Camero was intentionally walked to load the bases to set up Kagawa's hit.

The Warriors (13-0) took a 1-0 lead in the first on a one-out, RBI-single by Kagawa. But Na Ali'i tied it in the fifth when Dustin Grace reached first when second baseman Rodrigues dropped a pop up and scored on Jonathan Sakurai's triple to left-center.

Myles Ioane went the distance for Waiakea, scattering three hits and two walks with eight strikeouts.

"In the state tournament, you need that pitcher who can get the strikeout at the right moment," Correa said. "Ioane can do that."

Kamehameha advances to semis

Ryson Mauricio's three-run double highlighted a four-run third inning to pace the top-seeded Kamehameha Warriors (17-3) to a 5-2 victory over the Kaua'i Red Raiders.

The Red Raiders, the lone unseeded league champion, took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning.

Alec Reichle led off with a single and was lifted for courtesy runner Shannon Oketani, who was forced out at second on Daryl Higashi's bunt.

Stanton Yoshinori came in to pinch-run, stole second and took third on Sam Dias' single to right. Jerrick Amaki then reached safely on a safety squeeze that pitcher David Parrow bobbled for an error. After Kekoa Crowell struck out, Shawn Ogata walked to force in the run to give Kaua'i a 1-0 lead.

Kaua'i added a run in the third. With one out, Kirby Yates singled and took third on Reichle's double to right. Higashi then squeeze home the run to make it 2-0.

But the Warriors tagged Reichle for four runs in the bottom of the third. Nick Freitas led off with a single to second and JP Kennedy walked. After Kahe Santos grounded into a force at second to put runners at the corners, Matt Morgado's bloop RBI single to right put runners at first and second and cut the Warriors' deficit in half. Mauricio cleared the bases with a booming double to center for a 4-2 lead.

The Warriors added a run in the sixth on Keoni Ruth's sacrifice fly that scored Mauricio.

Kaulana Chang pitched 2á scoreless innings of relief and was credited with the win for pitching the most effectively. Isaac Kamai got the final out in the seventh after walking the first batter he faced for the save. Starter David Parrow allowed two runs in three-plus innings and departed after Kamehameha took a 4-2 lead, but he did not pitch the minimum four innings to get the win.

Mid-Pacific rallies past Baldwin

Pinch hitter Grant Yamaguchi's three-run double scored the go-ahead runs in a six-run fifth inning to propel defending state champion Mid-Pacific from a 5-1 deficit and into tonight's semifinal with a 9-6 victory over Baldwin.

The third-seeded Bears, the only seeded team not to advance to the semifinals, tagged MPI starter Conan Young for three runs in the first inning.

Baldwin added two unearned runs in the second on JJ Enos' RBI double and Nishiyama's run-scoring single to right to make it 5-0.

The Owls made it 5-1 in the third on Jonathan Hee's RBI single.

MPI then sent 10 batters to the plate in a six-run fifth inning, sparked by a two-run single by Randy Rundgren and Yamaguchi's three-run double for a 7-5 lead.

• • •