Kailua, Kamehameha reach final

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

WAILUKU, Maui — A dream for one player was heartbreak for another.

Kailua's Sean Medeiros watches his ground-rule double against Mid-Pacific in the third inning of a high school state baseball championships semifinal game. Matthew Thayer • Associated Press

The Surfriders (15-1) will try to reclaim the title they won in 2001 against Kamehameha. Kamehameha beat Waiakea, 7-5, in the other semifinal.

For the second consecutive time in the tournament, the Surfriders won a game in their final at-bat, the same fashion they won three games in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association tournament.

"This is like a dream for everybody," said an elated Rodrigues, who capped a 3-for-3 night with the game-winning homer.

Yet, on the other side was heartbreak.

Junior right-hander Harrison Kuroda pitched a complete-game in Wednesday's opening-round 8-0 win against Wai'anae and pitched a scoreless inning of relief for a save in Thursday's quarterfinal against Baldwin. When the Owls pulled to within 3-2 of the Surfriders, he came in relief in the fifth inning. He shut down the Surfriders for the next three innings, giving him a string of 11 consecutive scoreless innings in the tournament, until Rodrigues' lead-off blast.

"It's a tough way to lose it, but it's probably the only way we would've lost," MPI coach Dunn Muramaru said. "He (Kuroda) gave us everything. You give up one run and lose, somewhere in there there's no justice."

Even Kailua coach Corey Ishigo had praise for Kuroda.

"He's a warrior," he said. "He was shutting us down when he came into the game, but we settled down, made some adjustments and we did what we had to do to win."

Kailua tried to break its postseason spell of winning in its final at-bat by scoring twice in the first inning against MPI starter Grant Yamaguchi. Michael Kealoha was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and took second on a wild pitch. After Shaun Sasaki walked, Kekoa Sua lined an RBI single to left to put runners and first and second. Cody Teixeira-Vickery flied to center for the first out, but Sasaki was gunned down on a relay from center fielder Ryan Leong to shortstop Troy Hanzawa to third baseman Jonathan Hee. Medeiros reached on an infield single to third and on the play, Sua scored when first baseman Keven Whalen let the ball get away from him to make it 2-0.

Kailua added another run in the third. Teixeira-Vickery reached on an infield single to short and took third on Sean Medeiros' ground-rule double to left. Rodrigues' sacrifice fly made it 3-0.

Kailua then brought in Christopher Mahelona in the sixth and he blanked the Owls the rest of the way to give his team a chance at yet another last at-bat win.

"I wanted the game to just be close," Ishigo said of his decision to use Mahelona. "You can't make mistakes and beat Mid-Pac."

"Give Kailua credit," Muramaru said. "They just keep banging the ball. They're one tough ball club. They don't die."

Ishigo isn't sure who will start tonight's championship, although Kealoha should be available. With third baseman and backup shortstop Jordan Montgomery sitting his one-game suspension for his quarterfinal ejection, Kealoha had to stay at shortstop last night. But the way the Surfriders have been in their last at-bat mode, he joked that he'll leave his decision to a higher power.

"I'll just flip a coin and let the baseball gods decide," Ishigo said. "Maybe I'll dream over it. The baseball gods have been helping out a lot throughout the season, so they'll give me an answer tonight."

• Kamehameha 7, Waiakea 5: Kula's Kanekoa Teixeira won in front of his hometown as his teammates sent nine batters to the plate in a five-run fifth inning to overcome a first-inning, 3-0 deficit to advance to tonight's championship.

The top-seeded Warriors (18-3) are seeking their first title since 1988.

"I was nervous," Teixeira said of his first inning problems.

Teixeira scattered eight hits in 6¡ innings, walking three with five strikeouts.

Wai'akea got two runs in the top of the seventh. Isaac Kamai came in with runners at first and second with one out, allowed a single and he committed a throwing error on an apparent 1-2-3 double play that scored two runs. But he struck out the next two batters to get his second save in as many nights.

There was controversy in the Wai'akea fifth. David Rodrigues singled, but was forced at second on Owen Otsuka's bunt fielder's choice. Shannon Camero then doubled to right-center. Base runner Otsuka and Kamehameha third baseman Ryson Mauricio were ejected, meaning both are suspended for today's games. Kamehameha coach Vern Ramie said the players bumped on the play and shoved each other.

In Kamehameha's fifth, Baba Merino led off with a double to left and scored on Andrew Phillips' single to center. Dayne Ogawa reached on a bunt fielder's choice in which Phillips beat pitcher Ronnie Loeffler's throw to second. Loeffler was lifted for Kulea Bondallion, who walked Travis Young to load the bases. Myles Ioane was summoned to replace Bondallion to face Keoni Ruth, who hit a sacrifice fly to right to make it 3-2 and send Ogawa to third. With runners at the corners, Nick Freitas' hit-and-run RBI single to right sent Young to third and tied the game at 3. Freitas stole second to put runners at second and third. Young scored when third baseman Matt Patterson's throw to home on a batted ball by JP Kennedy was wild, allowing Freitas to take third and Kennedy to reach first. Freitas stole home when pinch runner Kolu Pacarro was caught in a rundown on a pick-off throw to first; he scored before an error on the play allowed Pacarro to return to first safely.

Semifinals

MID-PACIFIC (14-9-1) 000 111 00—3 4 2
KAILUA (14-1) 201 000 01—4 10 2

Grant Yamaguchi, Harrison Kuroda (5) and Kip Masuda. Bronson Kamaka, Christopher Mahelona (6) and Sean Medeiros. W—Mahelona. L—Kuroda.

Leading hitters: MPI—Ryan Asato 2-4, double, RBI. Kailua—Cody Teixeira-Vickery 2-4; Sean Medeiros 3-4, double; Ryan Rodrigues 3-3, double, home run, 2 RBI.

WAIAKEA (13-1) 300 000 2—5 9 2
KAMEHAMEHA (18-3) 000 052 x—7 7 1

Ronnie Loeffler, Kulea Bondallion (5), Myles Ioane (5), Matt Patterson (6) and Avery Kagawa. Kanekoa Teixeira, Isaac Kamai (7) and Baba Merino. W—Teixeira. L—Bondallion. S—Kamai.

Leading hitters: Wai'akea—Shannon Camero 3-3, 2 doubles. Kamehameha—Baba Merino 2-2, 2 doubles; Andrew Phillips 2-2, RBI, stolen base.

Consolation

HILO (10-4) 002 000 2—4 9 2
WAI'ANAE (9-6) 100 000 0—1 6 1

Jared Taise and Keola Holt-Mizuguchi. Clayton Uyechi and Darryl Ohelo. W—Taise. L—Uyechi.

Leading hitters: Hilo—Taise 3-3, Haasenritter 2-4; Nau 2-4; Carvalho double. Wai'anae—none.

'Aiea (14-2) 032 000 0—5 8 1
KAUA'I (9-7) 101 000 0—2 3 0

Ramon Aquino, Sean Ha'o (5) and Herbert Chung. Jake Oketani, Garen Itamura (4) and Daryl Higashi, Jerrick Amaki (4). W—Aquino. L—Higashi. S—Ha'o.

Leading hitters: 'Aiea—Taylor Watanabe 2-2, 2 RBi, stole base; Justin Grace 2-2, HBP. Kaua'i—Alec Reichle 1-2, double, run.

BALDWIN (17-5) 000 201 00—3 7 2
ROOSEVELT (11-5) 200 001 01—4 9 1

Jeff Kajiwara and Meade Tabata. Ricky Eusebio, Ransen Tamai (5) and Kevin Fujii. W—Tamai. L—Kajiwara.

Leading hitters: Baldwin—Gered Mochizuki 3-4, 2 triples, 2 RBI, stolen base; Meade Tabata 2-3. Roosevelt—Ivan Fujii 2-4, 2 doubles, stolen base; Joshua Danz 2-4, RBI, stolen base; Kevin Fujii 2-4, RBI; Ransen Tamai 2-3.

Quarterfinals

Late Thursday result

MID-PACIFIC (14-8-1) 001 062 0—9 10 2
BALDWIN (17-4) 320 001 0—6 8 3

Conan Young, Jayson Kramer (1), Harrison Kuroda (7) and Kip Masuda; Jon Honda, Shevis Shima (6) and Meade Tabata. W—Kramer. L—Honda. S—Kuroda.

Leading hitters: MPI—Jonathan Hee 2-3, double, 2 RBI; Keven Whalen 2-4; Grant Yamaguchi 1-1,double 3 RBI; Randy Rundgren 2 RBIs. Baldwin—Gered Mochizuki 2-4, triple, RBI; JJ Eno 2-3, double, 2 RBI.