Posted on: Friday, May 6, 2005
Blomberg's blast boosts Moanalua over Wai'anae, 7-6
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
In the hitter-friendly confines of its cozy home field, the Moanalua High School baseball team rallied from a three-run deficit yesterday to defeat Wai'anae, 7-6, in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association quarterfinals.
The Menehunes (9-2) will be at home again today in a 4 p.m. semifinal game against defending league champion 'Aiea (9-3) and also clinched a state tournament berth with yesterday's win. Wai'anae (9-3) falls into the consolation bracket and travels to Mililani (9-2) today for an elimination game.
With moderate trade winds blowing out to left field yesterday, the already tight dimensions at Moanalua became even more of a factor. And the Menehunes took advantage with two towering home runs, as Andrew Blomberg's two-run opposite field blast in the fifth inning capped a four-run rally to provide the winning margin.
"The ball always carries well here," said Blomberg, who also had a run-scoring double in the first inning. "With our lineup, we always knew we could come back, so that was our goal each inning: just try to score one run in each inning and we can win the game."
It took every bit of help to get past the scrappy Seariders, who grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on Kipi Rosa's single to score Sonny Dudoit. Moanalua answered in the bottom half with Blomberg's RBI double and Dayne Dela Cruz's monster two-run homer over the left-field fence.
Wai'anae came back with three runs in the third, after Charleson Low hit a two-run double to the right-center alley and courtesy runner Gary Kuakini scored on the throw to try and catch Low at second. The Seariders then made it 6-3 in the fourth on Dudoit's two-run double to right.
Two of Wai'anae's runs were unearned, the result of errors by the Menehunes.
"I think it took a few innings for the kids to loosen up," said Moanalua coach Scott Yamada, whose team had not played in eight days because of a first-round bye.
But Blomberg said the Menehunes were able to shake off the rust and errors just in time.
"It's been a while since we've been in a game, but as a team we still played together," Blomberg said. "Everybody picked it up and made the plays when it counted at the end."
Blomberg's home run followed RBI singles by brothers Peter and Adam Arakawa.
"I thought our pitcher (Ande Kuakini) pitched very well except for a couple mistake pitches which I called and am accountable for," Seariders coach Kekoa Kaluhiokalani said. "But our kids fought all game long, and I'm happy about that."
Ande Kuakini and Peter Carba. Chance Daskauskas, Kekoa Lee (4), Adam Arakawa (6) and Donovan Souza. W — Lee. L — Kuakini. S — Arakawa.
Leading hitters — Wai'anae: Sonny Dudoit 3-4, double, 2 RBIs; Charleston Low double, 3 RBIs; Kipi Rosa 2-4, double; Peter Carba 2-3. Moanalua: Andrew Blomberg 2-3, double, home run, 3 RBIs; Adam Arakawa 2-3, triple; Dayne Dela Cruz home run, 2 RBIs; Peter Arakawa double.
Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2456.
