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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, April 12, 2007

Mililani wins wild one; goes to 7-0

By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer

Mililani is the lone unbeaten team in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Western Division, and it had to go back and forth and to extra innings with Pearl City last night to get there.

Travis Jones' sacrifice fly to left field with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth lifted Mililani to a 7-6 victory at Central O'ahu Regional Park.

Pearl City led 2-0 after the top of the first. Mililani tied it at 2 in the third. Pearl City went up 4-2 in the sixth. Mililani scored four times in the bottom half of the inning to take a 6-4 lead. In the seventh, Pearl City scored twice to tie it up.

"I cannot say enough about just a gutty performance," Mililani coach Dean Sato said.

Mililani improved to 7-0; Pearl City dropped to 4-2. 'Aiea (5-1) lost its first game of the season earlier yesterday — 5-4 to Wai'anae (5-1).

In the bottom of the eighth, the Trojans' Adam Schroeder reached on a fielding error by the shortstop with one out. Josh Queja singled him to second, and both runners advanced on a bloop single to center by Dustin Antolin.

Jones then hit a 1-0 pitch to medium left field off Kurt Poentis. The throw was off line and Schroeder scored standing up.

"We run that situation every day in practice, just try and get the ball into the outfield and get the run home," Jones said.

Mililani had an opportunity to score in the seventh after loading the bases with one out. But Poentis got two fly outs to left field to end the threat.

"My hats off to Mr. Seki. That's unbelievable," Sato said of Pearl City coach Mel Seki. "They had us one-out, bases loaded, and they pulled through. My hats off to those guys. They're gonna be in the state tournament, I guarantee that."

In the top of the eighth, Pearl City had two runners caught stealing.

"That's the way we've been playing and we'll continue to be aggressive," Seki said. "They outsmarted us on that one, but I think overall our aggressiveness paid off."

Antolin, the third Trojans' pitcher, picked up the victory by recording one out — a caught stealing to end the eighth.

Richie Mariano worked the first 5 1/3 innings for the Trojans, allowing four runs on eight hits. Jones allowed two runs in his two innings of work.

PEARL CITY 200 002 20 — 6 12 2

MILILANI 002 004 01 — 7 10 1

Jason Rasa, Cory Yuh (6), Kurt Poentis (6) and Carlton Tanabe. Richie Mariano, Travis Jones (6), Dustin Antolin (8) and Kacey Miyasato, Mariano (6). W — Antolin. L — Poentis.

Leading hitters: PC—Bryson Nakamura 2-3, triple; Kellen Ushijima double; Chad Quillopo double; Jordan DeKneef 2-3. Mil—Josh Queja 2-4; Antolin 2-4; Travis Jones double; Mariano double.

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.