Kamehameha holds off Kailua for baseball crown
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
WAILUKU, Maui — At last, Kamehameha captured that seemingly elusive state baseball crown by holding off relentless Kailua, 4-2, last night in the Wally Yonamine State Tournament.
Matthew Thayer • Associated Press
An Ichiro "Iron" Maehara Baseball Stadium crowd of about 1,100 watched Warriors' first baseman JP Kennedy snag Shaun Sasaki's liner with the bases loaded and jump on first base for a game-ending double play to give Kamehameha its first title since 1988. It was the first title for coach Vern Ramie, who took over the program in 1989. Twice since 2000, the Warriors were runners-up.
Isaac Kamai pitched a complete game to lead Kamehameha to the state championship.
"All those other times, maybe it just wasn't our time," Ramie said. "But this one was our time. If JP was a few inches the other way, we would have lost this game. But this one was our time."
Kamehameha starter Isaac Kamai, a senior, pitched a two-hitter, but walked six in going the distance. Leading 4-1 going into the bottom of the seventh — Kailua had won its last five postseason games in its final at-bat — the Surfriders scored on a bases-loaded walk by Michael Kealoha to pull to 4-2. Sasaki then lined a 1-1 pitch ticketed down the right-field line, only to be snatched by Kennedy.
"Last year was running through my head," Kennedy said of Kailua's threat in the bottom of the seventh. "That's why I wanted the ball to come to me. Once I got it (the liner), I knew what to do with it."
The Warriors scored three runs in the first off sophomore starter Kevin Matsumoto. Kailua also allowed an unearned run in the fifth on one of its seven errors.
"It's kind of hard to win when you make seven errors," Kailua coach Corey Ishigo said. "I think we were a little too up for this game. They showed me a lot of character, I didn't how we'd react with a young team in the OIA playoffs. It showed me we had a pretty good ballclub and that Kailua baseball is pretty good."
Kamai, who pitched out of jam in Friday's semifinal win against Waiakea, found himself in another last night.
"The pressure was getting to me, but I had to show some leadership," Kamai said. "I'm a senior. I had to show the guys how to stay tough."
Senior shortstop Keoni Ruth, who was 2-for-3 with a stolen base said, "This team has fought through a lot of adversity. Like tonight, we had two guys thrown out of the game, but we fought through the adversity and found a way to win."
Outfielders Travis Young and Nick Freitas were ejected when each made contact with Kailua's catchers on plays at the plate. Kailua starting catcher Sean Medeiros left the game injured when Young tried to score on a play.
Kailua started the seventh as Ryan Rodrigues reached on second baseman Dayne Ogawa's throwing error. After Jordan Montgomery walked before Ko'o Kamalamalama struck out. Derek Mailau reached on catcher's interference to load the bases before Kealoha drew a walk to force in a fun. Then came Sasaki's liner to Kennedy.
The Warriors did not take long to strike, chasing Matsumoto after the first seven batters of the game.
Ruth led off by walking on four pitches. Then Freitas grounded into an apparent double play, but catcher's interference was called to put runners at first and second. Kennedy was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Kahe Santos' sacrifice fly to right scored Ruth; on the errant throw from right, Freitas scored and Kennedy took second to make it 2-0. After Matt Morgado walked, Baba Merino fouled out to third. But Andrew Phillips' single to left scored Kennedy to make it 3-0 and end Matsumoto's night. Kealoha came in and got Dayne Ogawa to ground into a force at third to end the inning.
Kamehameha threatened in a controversial fourth inning. Young led off with a single and stole second. He took third when Ruth reached first safely on a passed ball on a swinging third strike. Ruth stole second before Freitas struck out. Kennedy hit a grounder to shortstop Montgomery, who fired home to Medeiros to nail Young at home, as Ruth took second and Kennedy reached first. On the play, Young was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct after making contact with Medeiros on the play. Medeiros cringed in pain on his back at the plate and left the game. He was replaced by Colins Obed.
With Santos at the plate, Kealoha caught Kennedy leaning the wrong way. Ruth broke for home, but was thrown out on second baseman Sasaki's throw to Obed.
THIRD PLACE
• Mid-Pacific 3, Waiakea 2: Jonathan Hee's one out RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning capped a two-run rally, lifting Mid-Pacific.
The Warriors broke a 1-all game with a run in the fifth. Shannon Camero doubled and an out later, took third on Ryan Pagan's single. Then Kulea Bondallion, batting out of order, grounded into a force at second to score Camero to make it 2-1. Darrick Iida was supposed to hit when Bondallion batted. But by rule, MPI is supposed declare when the batters hit out of turn, but it did not.
It didn't matter.
In the home seventh with Pagan on the mound for Wai'akea, Jeffrey Mizokawa was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Harrison Kuroda was inserted as the courtesy runner and took second on Ryan Asato's sacrifice. Troy Hanzawa singled to left to put runners at the corners with one out. Ryan Leong then reached safely on a fielder's choice grounder to shortstop that Hanzawa beat to second and allowed Kuroda to score the tying run. With runners at first and second, Hee hit a ground-rule double to left to end the game.
FIFTH PLACE
• 'Aiea 6, Roosevelt 5: Blake Lamug's two-run double in the top of the fifth inning rallied Na Ali'i past the Rough Riders in a game called after six innings because of a two-hour time limit.
CONSOLATION
• Maui 6, Hilo 5: Joey Castro's two-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning drove home the winning run for the Sabers after the Vikings tied the game with four runs in the top of the seventh inning.
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