Posted on: Friday, May 20, 2005
Kailua holds off Mililani to gain semis
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By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Kevin Matsumoto pitched seven strong innings to lift Kailua past Mililani, 5-1, last night in a quarterfinal of the Wally Yonamine Foundation state baseball tournament at Les Murakami Stadium.
The second-seeded Surfriders (11-3) will play Kamehameha in tonight's 8 o'clock semifinal.
Matsumoto was engaged in a pitchers' duel with Mililani starter Kelsey Nakata through six innings until Kailua broke the game open with a three-run seventh. Matsumoto allowed a run, seven hits and a walk with five strikeouts to get credit for the complete-game win.
With the game tied at 1 in the top of the sixth, Ryan Rodrigues was hit by Nakata's first pitch of the inning. Kurt Sasaoka went in to pinch run for Rodrigues. Pinch hitter Makana Opiopio's sacrifice moved Sasaoka, who then alertly took an uncovered third base, where he scored on Preston Nakata's sacrifice fly to left to make it 2-1.
"It was mental breakdown on our part," Mililani coach Dean Sato said about leaving the base uncovered. "I told the kids we have to learn from that. It's too bad it had to happen at the state tournament."
The Trojans threatened to tie in the bottom of the sixth when Jordan Apduhan tripled to right-center with one out. But Matsumoto struck out Kelsey Nakata and John Abreu to end the threat.
"I had to bear down, the game was so close," Matsumoto said of striking out Kelsey Nakata. "I just had to pitch my game and get out. I threw a lot of curveballs to him. I finished him off with a curveball."
The Surfriders got insurance in the top of the seventh. Keli'i Klobucar led off with a double to left-center and Michael D'Alessio was hit by a pitch and lifted for courtesy runner Kelroy Kohatsu. Tyler Harrison reached on a bunt single to third to load the bases. Kekoa Su'a's sacrifice fly to right made it 3-1 and also sent Kohatsu to third. Rodrigues' sacrifice fly to center made it 4-1. On the play, Harrison took an uncovered second base. After Harrison stole third, he scored when Matt Kinoshita reached safely on a two-base throwing error by shortstop Tony Aquino that made it 5-1.
Kailua took a 1-0 lead in the second on Matsumoto's RBI single, but Mililani tied it in the third on Tony Aquino's RBI single.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
