Kailua best in OIA baseball
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
WAIPI'O — Just because there was no dominant team in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association doesn't mean it is less competitive. Or else how does one explain the fifth-seeded team from one division winning the league baseball championship?
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
Kevin Matsumoto pitched four-hit ball and drove in two runs to help Kailua defeat Moanalua, 6-3, last night at Central O'ahu Regional Park for its fifth league title in six years and 11th overall.
The Kailua Surfriders celebrate their fifth OIA title in six years.
"It just shows that OIA is a pretty tough league," Kailua coach Corey Ishigo said. "A lot of recognition goes to the ILH, but anybody could've won this tournament. There were 12 teams in it and all 12 had the opportunity. One base hit there, an error there, a break there, anything could've happened."
Kailua (11-3) finished fifth in the East, while Moanalua (10-3) was runner-up in the same division. Moanalua had a first-round bye, while Kailua had to win four in a row.
Matsumoto, a 6-foot, 161-pound senior right-hander, kept the Menehunes in check most of the night. He walked one and struck out five. The three runs he was charged with were unearned because of two errors in the sixth that pulled Moanalua to 4-3.
"He had command of all of his pitches tonight," Ishigo said. "He was determined to win tonight."
Matsumoto, who beat Campbell on Wednesday in an opening-round game, got ahead on most of the Moanalua hitters. Of the four hits he allowed, only two were hit hard: Andrew Blomberg's RBI triple that was followed an out later by Donovan Souza's line RBI single in the sixth inning.
"All my pitches were working," Matsumoto said. "My arm was a little bit tight today, but I just had to stretch it out and I kind of felt good tonight."
But two Moanalua errors in the top of the seventh led to two unearned runs and provided insurance for the Surfriders entering the bottom of the seventh. Ishigo made a defensive replacement in the seventh, bringing in Aaron Kent to play third base. All three of Moanalua's batters in the seventh grounded out to Kent, including two into the hole.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
"We know he can play defense," Ishigo said. "There's no question about that."
Kailua pitcher Kevin Matsumoto walked one and struck out five in earning the victory over Moanalua.
Matsumoto was appreciative of Kent's glove.
"He told me, 'I'm in here,' " Matsumoto said. "So I told him, 'You better play defense, buddy.' He goes, 'I'm there for you.' "
The Menehunes were seeking their first league championship. The other time they reached the championship game was in 2001, when they also lost to the Surfriders.
"Gotta give credit to that pitcher," Moanalua coach Scott Yamada said. "He threw a lot of strikes and we were taking a lot of first-pitch strikes. That's what he was doing and he came back with his slider."
Blomberg, who started for Moanalua, gave up four runs on five hits and four walks with three strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings. Kekoa Lee added 2 2/3 scoreless innings, but Chance Daskauskas was victimized by two errors that led to the two unearned runs in the seventh.
"AB (Andrew Blomberg) didn't have his best stuff," Yamada said.
The Surfriders wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. With one out in the top of the first inning, Tyler Harrison doubled to left and scored on Kekoa Su'a's double to center.
Kailua added three in the fourth when Matt Kinoshita reached first on third baseman John Estores' throwing error and Preston Nakata walked. Both advanced on Ranson Ka'anoi's sacrifice before Aaron Kunioka walked to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Kinoshita and advanced the other runners to set up Matsumoto's two-run single to center to make it 4-0, ending Blomberg's night. Lee came in and got Michael D'Alessio to foul out to first, then picked off the runner at first to end the inning.
Moanalua assistant Kelsey Isa was ejected in the second inning after arguing a defensive obstruction call, allowing Kunioka to take second after he had singled to left. He apparently made contact with the first baseman and was thrown out at second, but given the base when the obstruction was called. By OIA rule, Isa must sit out the next game, which will be in the state tournament.
KAILUA (11-3) 100 300 2—6 7 3
MOANALUA (10-3) 000 003 0—3 4 3
Kevin Matsumoto and Michael D'Alessio. Andrew Blomberg, Kekoa Lee (4), Chance Daskauskas (7) and Donovan Souza. W—Matsumoto. L—Blomberg.
Leading hitters—Kailua: Tyler Harrison double; Kekoa Su'a 2-3, double, 2 RBIs; Matsumoto 2-3, 2 RBIs. Moanalua: Blomberg triple, RBI.
THIRD PLACE
PEARL CITY 6, AIEA 4: Dustin Kim Seu and Tate Ikehara each drove in two runs to lead the Chargers to third place.
PEARL CITY (9-5) 310 101 0—6 12 4
AIEA (9-5) 120 010 0—4 7 2
Craig Calantoc, Jason Tamanaha (5) and Rylan Nakahata. Derek Grace, Keenan Naeole (4), Lance Powell (6) and Andrew Gouveia. W—Calantoc. L—Grace. S—Tamanaha.
Leading hitters—Pearl City: Casey Fujishige 3-4, triple; Dustin Kim Seu 2-4, 2 RBIs; Take Ikehara 2 RBIs; Kesley Poentis 2-3. 'Aiea: Powell 2-4, home run, RBI; Grace 2-4, RBI.
FIFTH PLACE
MILILANI 5, LEILEHUA 1: Kelsey Nakata pitched a complete game and Kamaka Crabbe drove in four runs to give the Trojans fifth place and the OIA's final state tournament berth. Nakata allowed a run on seven hits with four strikeouts in seven innings for the Trojans, who earlier in the afternoon beat Wai'anae, 6-5, in nine innings. It was the continuation of a game from Friday that was called after eight innings because of darkness.
LEILEHUA (9-4) 001 000 0—1 7 2
MILILANI (11-2) 002 300 x—5 9 1
John Olley, Casey Yamaguchi (3), Joshua Pastor (4) and Gavin Uyeda. Kelsey Nakata and Kamaka Crabbe. W—Nakata. L—Olley.
Leading hitters—Leilehua: Gavin Uyeda 2-3, double; Yamaguchi 2-3. Mililani: Crabbe 2-4, double, 4 RBIs; Tony Aquino double; Brandon Oshiro 2-3, triple, RBI; John Abreu 2-3.
