Posted on: Thursday, May 19, 2005
Mililani turns back Big Island Warriors
| • | Kamehameha edges 'Aiea, 4-1 |
| • | Kaua'i rallies to beat Pearl City in 8th, 4-3 |
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Mililani might have spoiled Kamehameha-Hawai'i's state baseball tournament debut with an 8-2 win last night in the opening round of the HHSAA/Wally Yonamine Foundation tournament at Les Murakami Stadium. But after playing the Trojans close for five innings, the Warriors have made it clear they will be a team to reckon with in coming years.
"These guys are going to be here next year," Mililani coach Dean Sato said of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation runner-up. "Mark my words. They hit the ball. They just had tough breaks here and there. This is one of the toughest hitting teams we've faced this year."
The Trojans (10-2) advance to tonight's 7 o'clock quarterfinal against O'ahu Interscholastic Association champion and second-seeded Kailua (10-3). The Warriors (12-4) play or 'Aiea at 10 a.m. tomorrow in a consolation bracket game.
The Warriors had nine hits; lead-off batter Reece Alnas was 4 for 4.
"We know we have some work to do, but we're not far away from the rest of the competition," Warriors' coach Tony DeSa said. "It's a good outlook for our offseason for working toward next season."
Trojans' starter Robert Reid, a junior left-hander, allowed two runs (one earned) on eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts in six innings. Kelsey Nakata came in from second to pitch a scoreless seventh.
Their pitching was supported by their batterymate, catcher Kamaka Crabbe, who was 4 for 4 with four RBIs, including a three-run double in a five-run sixth that cushioned the Trojans' lead. Even Crabbe was impressed with the Warriors.
"They came out to fight," Crabbe said. "When we got two runs, they came right back. They wanted to play. It was a game."
But before the five-run fifth, Kamehameha starter Aaron Correa, also a junior left-hander, was hanging tough with Reid. He fell behind 2-0 after three innings before his team tied it in the fourth. A bases-loaded walk to Justin Sagami in the fifth put Mililani ahead, 3-2. But in the sixth, the Trojans got an RBI double by Tony Aquino, a three-run double by Crabbe and sacrifice fly by Nakata to widen their lead. By the end, Correa allowed eight runs on 12 hits and three walks in six innings. He had four strikeouts.
A key inning for Reid was the top of the fifth with the game still tied at 2. The Warriors had a runner on third with two outs when Trysen Correa was intentionally walked. But Keanemana Silva also walked to load the bases, bringing out Sato to talk to his pitcher.
"When I went out to talk to him, I told him as long as he could keep the ball down, I was going to keep him in there," Sato said.
Trysen Goo, who was 2 for 2 with an RBI before stepping to the plate, then hit a harmless fly to center off a 1-0 curve to end the threat.
"I told him, 'Just give me a curveball, I don't care where,' " Crabbe said he told Reid. "I'll back him up. I just wanted it right at the outside corner and he put it there and he just popped it up. His curveball is pretty good."
"He has so much confidence," Sato said of Reid. "I asked him what was going to be his first pitch, he told me it was going to be a curveball."
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
