Posted on: Sunday, April 4, 2004
BASEBALL
Heu one-hits Kalani to keep Kaiser unbeaten in OIA East
| • | Basketball: Punahou holds off Kamehameha to improve to 4-0 in ILH |
| • | Kalaheo's Lingo pitches no-hitter |
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
Kaiser High School pitcher Mike Heu may not have left a memorable impression with Kalani's players last summer, but he certainly made a big impression on them yesterday.
Heu, a senior right-hander, tossed a one-hitter with seven strikeouts and one walk to lead the Cougars past the visiting Falcons, 4-0. The victory improved Kaiser's record to 4-0 in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Eastern Division.
Kalani fell to 2-1.
Heu played alongside several of the Falcons last summer on a team that faced a squad from Japan in a goodwill game.
"I didn't pitch good at all," Heu said.
But Kalani coach Shannon Hirai, who coached that summer team, said Heu was a different pitcher yesterday.
"He had a bad outing against Japan, but I heard that he started working toward this season from the day after that game, and it shows," Hirai said. "The kid pitched a really good game today."
In fact, Heu's performance was nearly flawless.
He took a perfect game into the fifth inning before issuing a leadoff walk to Randy Kitagawa. He then had a no-hitter going until one out in the sixth, when Reid Matsumura hit a sharp grounder past the shortstop and into left field.
With one runner caught stealing, Heu faced only one batter over the minimum 21 for his seven-inning complete game.
"That was the best game I've ever seen him pitch," Cougars coach Peter Ho said.
Kaiser needed a strong effort on the mound, because Kitagawa — Heu's counterpart — pitched a five-hitter with 10 strikeouts. But the Falcons also were hurt by four walks and four errors, plus a wild pitch and a pickoff at second base.
"We made too many mistakes," Hirai said.
The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Jeff Peters ripped a triple to center field and scored on a wild pitch. They made it 3-0 in the fourth after Jarryd Maeda led off with a single, Neale Asato walked and Landon Ka'aua slammed a two-run single to center.
Kaiser went up 4-0 in the sixth when Peters reached on an error to lead off and pinch-runner Shannon Wise advanced around the bases on three more errors.
That was more than enough support for Heu, who had only one strikeout through the first three innings but got six Ks in the final four. In one stretch early in the game, Heu got nine straight outs on ground balls.
That included a diving stop at third base by Colby Ho.
"I wasn't really hitting my spots (early) but my defense was covering my back," Heu said. "After the third inning, I picked it up again and my pitches started going where I wanted. I got ahead in the count and I tried not to let (the one walk and one hit) get to me. I just didn't want them to score, and they didn't get past second base, so I was happy."
Heu credited Cougars pitching coach Paul Ah Yat — a former Iolani and University of Hawai'i standout who played six seasons of minor league baseball — with his improvement from last summer.
Peter Ho said all of Kaiser's players have shown maturity since last season.
"Last year we had eight underclassmen starting, and you can see the difference now," Ho said. "They've started to believe in themselves."
NOTES: Four Kalani players — including three starters — remain on suspension from games while a school investigation is conducted regarding an incident on a team trip last month. Hirai said he is not allowed to comment on the incident, but said the rest of the team has handled the adversity well. The Falcons had been among the preseason favorites in the East. "I think we're actually playing better as a team now; there's not as much 'I' anymore," Hirai said. "We can still get there, it's just that we don't have as much depth now. I always felt we were two-deep at every position, but now we're just one-deep at some. But it's not an excuse — we just gotta battle back." ... In addition to Ah Yat, four other former UH standouts are coaching at Kaiser and Kalani. Former Rainbow catcher Peter Ho is Kaiser's head coach and former UH outfielder Sean Takamori is the Cougars' third base coach. Also, former Rainbow pitchers Ross Hayashi and Wakon Childers are on the Kalani coaching staff.
Randy Kitagawa and Preston Pires. Mike Heu and Jarryd Maeda. W—Heu. L—Kitagawa.
Leading hitters: Kaiser—Landon Ka'aua 2-4, 2 RBIs; Jeff Peters 2-3, triple.
JV score—Kaiser 5, Kalani 4.
Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2456.
• KAILUA 12, ROOSEVELT 2: Michael Kealoha went 3 for 3, including a three-run homer in the second inning, for host Kailua in a game shortened to five innings because of the league's 10-run rule.
Bronson Kamaka pitched a three-hitter as Kailua improved to 3-0. Kekoa Sua also had three hits for the Surfriders. Kealoha finished with five RBIs.
Justin Goo, David Aquino (5) and Kevin Fujii. Bronson Kamaka and Sean Medeiros. W—Kamaka. L—Goo.
Leading hitters: Roosevelt—Joshua Danz double. Kailua—Michael Kealoha 3-3, double, 3-run HR, 5 RBIs; Kekoa Sua 3-4, double 2 RBIs; Kevin Matsumoto 2-3.
• Farrington at Castle: The game between the Governors and Knights was postponed because of rain. The game has been rescheduled for 4 p.m. tomorrow at Castle. Junior varsity
OIA WEST
• 'Aiea 4, Mililani 2: C.J. Tausaga's two-run double broke a 2-all tie in the eighth inning as Na Ali'i's edged the host Trojans. In the eighth, Bryson Tajiri walked and Lance Powell singled before Tausaga doubled.
Mililani rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game on an RBI double by Kamaka Crabbe and an RBI single by Brandon Oshiro.
Shawn Hao, Lance Powell (7) and Aaron Asher. Chaz Miyashiro, Ryan Tsutsui (8) and Kamaka Crabbe. W—Powell. L—Miyashiro.
Leading hitters: 'Aiea—Asher 2-3, double; Bryson Tajiri 2-4; Kepa Wong double; Herbert Chung 2-4; Powell 3-4; C.J. Tausaga double, 2 RBIs. Mililani—Miyashiro triple; Crabbe double. Reported by Ryan Kato
• CAMPBELL 1, KAPOLEI 0: Brandon Tanigawa's double scored James Bannister in the bottom of the seventh to lift host Campbell past Kapolei. Bannister opened the seventh with a single to left field. Keoni Gaui's sacrifice bunt moved Bannister to second. After Kendall Hodson grounded out, Tanigawa hit a 3-2 pitch over the leftfielder's head, scoring Bannister.
Tristan Bailey won a pitching duel with Colin Dumlao. Bailey struck out eight, Dumlao six.
Colin Dumlao and Drake Kula. Tristan Bailey and Ian Pantorilla. W—Bailey. L—Dumlao.
Leading hitters: Kapolei— Bryan Padayao double. Campbell—Kendall Hodson triple; Bailey 2-3; Brandon Tanigawa double, RBI. • NANAKULI 6, WAIPAHU 3: Bryson Felisi's bases-clearing triple highlighted a four-run sixth inning and the visiting Golden Hawks beat the Marauders. Nathan Naehu added a triple and three RBIs for Nanakuli.
Devan Harris, Bryson Felisi (6) and Nathan Naehu. Shane Jelf, Joshua Pastor (6) and Jake Tabieros. W—Felisi. L—Jelf.
Leading hitters: Nanakuli—Felisi 2-4, triple, RBI; Naehu triple, 3 RBIs; Harris double, RBI. Waipahu—Pastor 2-4, triple, RBI; Jelf 2-4 double. • PEARL CITY 3, WAI'ANAE 1: Tony Ganigan struck out 11 and Corey Giammalvo batted 2 for 4 and drove in two runs to lead the host Chargers. Clayton Uyechi, Darius Fuller (6) and Peter Carba. Tony Ganigan, Blake Kaneshiro (7) and Corey Giammalvo. W—Ganigan. L—Uyechi.
Leading hitters: Pearl City—Giammalvo 2-4, double, 2 RBIs.
ILH
• KAMEHAMEHA 9, IOLANI 5: Keola Kaluhiokalani batted 3 for 4, including a double, home run and four RBIs, as the visiting Warriors defeated the Raiders.
Kanekoa Texeira, Brandon Ogimi (5), Koa Kaleo (7), David Parrow (7) and Stuart Kam. B.J. Takushi, Jon Sakoda (6), Trent Muraoka (7) and Bert Mitsunaga. W—Texeira. L—Takushi.
Leading hitters: Kamehameha—Travis Young 2-4; Nick Freitas 2-4, 2 RBIs; Keola Kaluhiokalani 3-4, double, HR, 4 RBIs. Iolani—Jared Nakama 2-4; Travis Nishioka 2-3. • SAINT LOUIS 12, DAMIEN 2: The Crusaders sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning and scored eight runs en route to a victory over the Monarchs at Ala Wai Field. The game was shortened to five innings because of the league's 10-run rule.
Duncan Ebert, Chris Stephenson (2) and Brandon Baguio, Nick Zieser (2). Edwin Apostol and Jowen Murray-Thornton. W—Apostol. L—Ebert.
Leading hitters: Damien— Kaimana Balanon 2 RBIs. Saint Louis—Sheldon Santiago double, 2 RBIs; Cody Barrett 2-3, 2 RBIs; Marc Nobriga 2 RBIs; Johnny Gentry 2-3, Murray-Thornton 2-3. • MID-PACIFIC 7, MARYKNOLL 1: Chris Goya, Harrison Kuroda and Ryan Asato each paired hits for the host Owls. MPI's Chris Freshour struck out four and allowed two hits to earn the victory.
Hiroshi Kuroda, Harrison's brother, was 2 for 3 for Maryknoll.
Ryan Matsumoto, Chris Lum (3), Ryan DeMello (4) and Brian Tabata. Chris Freshour, Jared Hara (5) and Ivan Kabei, Kip Masuda (5). W—Freshour. L—Matsumoto. S—Hara.
Leading hitters: Maryknoll—Hiroshi Kuroda 2-3. Mid-Pacific—Chris Goya 2-4; Harrison Kuroda 2-3, double; Ryan Asato 2-3, double. • PUNAHOU 9, PAC-FIVE 0: Jared Pate, Kasey Ko and Landon Nakata combined on a three-hit shutout for the Buffanblu. The Buffanblu sent 10 batters to plate in a seven-run fifth inning, aided by three Pac-Five errors. Nakata had a two-run triple in the fifth.
Jared Pate, Kasey Ko (6), Landon Nakata (7) and Robert Kurisu, Michael Chock (6). Owen Simmons, Tyler Inouye (5), Kendal Tanigawa (6) and Aaron Chilcote, Shane Osaki (5). W—Pate. L— Simmons.
Leading hitters: Punahou— Mike Kim 2-3, 2 RBIs; Justin Ariki 2-2, double; Nakata 2-4, 2 triples, 3 RBIs; Kurisu double. Pac-Five—Ryan Taketa 2-3.
• Waimea sweeps: The Menehunes scored three runs, aided by two walks and three errors, in the ninth inning to beat Kapa'a, 7-4, in the first game of a Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation doubleheader at Ron Martin Field in Kapa'a yesterday.
Waimea's Travis DeLima pitched a three-hitter in the Menehunes' 12-1 victory in the second game.
WP—Robin Correa. LP—Moses Punzal.
WP—Travis DeLima. LP—William Sasil.
Advertiser Staff
Senior right-hander Kalani Lingo pitched a no-hitter to lift Kalaheo to a 7-0 victory over Kahuku in an O'ahu Interscholastic Association Eastern Division baseball game at Kailua Rec Field yesterday.
Lingo faced 23 batters, striking out seven and walking two.
T.J. Meyer was 3 for 4, including a double, for the Mustangs.
Melvin Silva, Keenan Kaowili (6) and Jason Aumua, M.J. Sabido (6). Kalani Lingo and Jacob Myking. W—Lingo. L—Silva.
Leading hitters: Kalaheo—T.J. Meyer 3-4, double; Cody Racoma 2-3, double; Myking triple.
Reported by Lynn Kitamura
KIF
Kalaheo's Lingo pitches no-hitter
