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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Mid-Pacific rallies to win

 Photo gallery Kamehameha vs. Mid Pacific photo gallery

By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer

Mid-Pacific's Michael Nagamine, right, is forced out at second base by Kamehame-ha's Kapena Gomes.

REBECCA BREYER | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Mid-Pacific used the unexpected to rally past Kamehameha last night.

The go-ahead run scored with two outs in the top of the seventh when Owls catcher and No. 3 hitter Aaron Fujiki laid down a bunt and reached when the third baseman's throw got past the first baseman.

Winning pitcher Michael Nagamine hadn't taken the mound in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu game since his days on the Owls intermediate team.

It all added up to a lot of drama and a 7-6 Mid-Pacific victory at Central O'ahu Regional Park.

Mid-Pacific, which scored three times in the seventh, improved to 5-1, a half-game behind first-place Punahou (5-0).

"It was pretty much do or die tonight," Owls coach Dunn Muramaru said.

In the seventh, Robert Dittrick led off with a single to left on a 1-0 pitch.

"Actually, we were supposed to have been taking (a strike), but he got a base hit to left field, so we got lucky there," Muramaru said.

After a stolen base and ground out, Todd Nagamine, the No. 9 hitter, blooped a single to left to put runners at the corners.

Todd Nagamine stole second and Russell Doi singled to deep short and the shortstop's throw got past the first baseman. Dittrick and Todd Nagamine scored on the play to tie it at 6.

Doi advanced to third when Wade Tamaru bunted out.

Fujiki then pulled off the surprise of the night by bunting the ball toward the third baseman, who short-hopped the ball and threw low and wide of first, which allowed Doi to score the go-ahead run.

"Today I wasn't really hitting good," said Fujiki, who finished 0 for 3 with an intentional walk. "I wasn't really seeing the ball good, so I had to find another way to get the run home. I looked down the third-base line and the third baseman wasn't even paying attention (for the bunt) and he was playing back."

Michael Nagamine recorded four outs for the victory. He put runners at the corners in the seventh, but got a swinging third strike to end it.

"This weekend I just started warming in the pen and today I got the call," said Michael Nagamine, who started at designated hitter last night.

Mid-Pacific took a 4-0 lead in the fourth on a run-scoring single to left by Michael Nagamine. Kamehameha starter Waylen Sing Chow then walked Easton Torigue to load the bases, and was replaced by John Worthington.

In a span of five pitches, the Owls scored three runs on a wild pitch and two passed balls.

"We have to stay away from those types of innings," Kamehameha coach Vern Ramie said. "We didn't take care of the ball and a couple of passed balls. It's tough to win ball games when you give away runs like that."

Kamehameha, which dropped to 2-3, answered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, including a two-run triple to left-center by Ashkon Kuhaulua.

The Warriors added two in the fifth with the go-ahead run scoring when Fujiki threw the ball into right field while trying to pickoff the runner at first.

"It was a high pitch," Fujiki said. "I was off-balance and I threw it away. I was pretty mad, but my teammates picked me up and stuff."

The Warriors added an insurance run in the sixth to take a 6-4 advantage.

MID-PACIFIC (5-1) 000 400 3—7 5 1

KAMEHAMEHA (2-3) 000 321 0—6 9 2

Waylen Sing Chow, John Worthington (4), Ashkon Kuhaulua (7) and Vance Nobriga. Matthew McDaniel, Austin Sloan (6), McDaniel (6), Michael Nagamine (6) and Aaron Fujiki. W — Nagamine. L — Kuhaulua.

Leading hitters — Mid-Pacific: Russell Doi 2-4, 2 runs. Kamehameha: Keoni Lum 2-4; Sing Chow 2-4, 2 runs; Worthington 2-4; Kuhaulua triple, 2 RBIs.

DAMIEN 4, SAINT LOUIS 1

Darby Ventura went 2-for-2 with two RBIs, and Duncan Ebert fired a four-hitter as the Monarchs beat the Crusaders in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu game at Ala Wai Field. Kyle Gonzaga and Cole Shidaki had two hits apiece for Saint Louis.

SAINT LOUIS (1-5) 000 001 0—1 4 2

DAMIEN (2-3) 100 003 X—4 5 3

Kamakani Usui, Jordan Akau (6) and Keoni Haina. Duncan Ebert and Darby Ventura. W — Ebert. L — Usui.

Leading hitters — Saint Louis: Kyle Gonzaga 2-3; Cole Shidaki 2-3, RBI. Damien: Ventura 2-2, double, 2 RBIs; Scott Talasea 2-3, RBI, 2 runs; Kai Higa RBI.

Reported by Gail Juan

NO KALANI-MCKINLEY

The Kalani-McKinley varsity baseball game will be played on April 27.

The game was incorrectly listed in Sports Today in yesterday's Advertiser.

CORRECTIONS

'Iolani third baseman Lauren Oyadomari and outfielder Kryn Masutani and Campbell outfielder Brittney Garcia received honorable mention on The Advertiser's All-State softball team published yesterday, but their names were omitted from the print edition.

Also Moanalua first baseman Britni Ronolo's first name was misspelled on the second team list.

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.