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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, April 26, 2008

No. 2 Mid-Pacific ousts 'Iolani, 2-0

By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer

The conditions were soggy yesterday, but Mid-Pacific's Dane Kinoshita had a crisp fastball and sharp slider against 'Iolani.

Kinoshita scattered nine hits and struck out four, and Russell Doi scored a run and drove in another as host Mid-Pacific beat 'Iolani, 2-0, in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu double-elimination baseball tournament.

"He got tough when he had to be," Mid-Pacific coach Dunn Muramaru said of Kinoshita.

Mid-Pacific, ranked No. 2 in The Advertiser's Top 10 poll, will host Kamehameha today at 9 a.m. in an elimination game. If Mid-Pacific (15-3) wins, it will qualify for the Wally Yonamine Foundation State Championships.

"We're just taking it as another game," said Doi, who had three of Mid-Pacific's four hits yesterday. "Not trying to get too high, not trying to get too low. Just pretty much play Mid-Pac baseball. That's about it."

Kinoshita, a senior right-hander, threw 68 of his 102 pitches for strikes against 'Iolani, whose season ended at 9-8. He walked one and eight of the hits he allowed were singles.

"My slider was my out-pitch," Kinoshita said. "Aaron (Fujiki, the catcher) was doing a good job calling it in the right situations. My teammates obviously fielded the balls that got hit because I was just challenging hitters."

The game was delayed for about 30 minutes in the top of the first inning because of rain.

Neither Kinoshita nor 'Iolani starter Jarrett Arakawa seemed to be effected by the mound conditions.

"It was wet, but it didn't bother me that much," Kinoshita said. "More, the ball was slippery."

In the bottom of the first, Mid-Pacific had runners at the corners and two outs, and Mikey Nagamine at the plate. On a 2-2 pitch, Easton Torigoe took off for second base and put on the breaks near the bag as the throw from the 'Iolani catcher sailed into center field. Doi, who didn't break on the throw, then trotted down the line.

"The coach told me look for the double cut," Doi said. "They didn't show it, so I was kind of watching to see if he could get in a run down. But then the ball went though and I took the base because the ball was in the outfield."

In the fifth, pinch-runner Bryson Chang scored from second on Doi's opposite-field single to left with two outs.

"I just wanted to take whatever he gave me," Doi said. "He gave me an outside fastball and I just took it that way."

The Raiders finished 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position. No 'Iolani base runner reached third base.

"It's been like that the whole season," said 'Iolani coach Dean Yonamine. "We haven't been able to string together, in the right situations, key hits. That's the way it goes sometimes."

Kinoshita's most impressive stretch came after he allowed a lead-off double to center by Reyn Nagamine in the fourth. Kinoshita then struck out the next three batters.

"I knew it was a tight game at that point so if they scored it would have been the difference in the game," he said. "I had to focus in more."

'Iolani's Arakawa allowed two runs — one earned — in 4 2/3 innings. Kelsey Outram pitched the final 1 1/3 innings.

Mid-Pacific can still qualify for the state tournament with a loss today, but Kamehameha would have to not reach the tournament final. The ILH has three berths in the state tournament, which runs from May 7 to 10.

'IOLANI (9-8) 000 000 0—0 9 3

MID-PACIFIC (15-3) 100 010 X—2 4 0

Jarrett Arakawa, Kelsey Outram (5) and Grant Iwamoto. Dane Kinoshita and Aaron Fujiki. W — Kinoshita. L — Arakawa.

Leading hitters — 'Iolani: Lionel Fujioka 2-4; Breland Almadova 3-3; Reyn Nagamine 2-3, double. Mid-Pacific: Russell Doi 3-3.

KAMEHAMEHA 3, DAMIEN 1

Ula Nakamura drove in two runs to spark a three-run bottom of the sixth inning, and Tucker Troy and Patrick Akana combined on a four-hitter as the Warriors (8-8-1) eliminated the Monarchs (5-12) at Ala Wai Field.

Isaac Ventura and DJ Andrade combined to limit Kamehameha to two hits.

DAMIEN (5-12) 010 000 0—1 4 2

KAMEHAMEHA (8-8-1) 000 003 X—3 2 0

Isaac Ventura, DJ Andrade (6) and Darby Ventura. Tucker Troy, Patrick Akana (6) and Keanu Carmichael. W — Akana. L — Andrade.

Leading hitters — Damien: Aalona Amimoto RBI. Kamehameha: Ula Nakamura 2 RBIs.

Reported by Gail Juan

OIA

RAIN PUSHES BACK SEMIS, CHAMPIONSHIP

Three O'ahu Interscholastic Association baseball playoff games were rained out yesterday.

Both OIA Red (Division I) semifinals were rescheduled for today at Central O'ahu Regional Park. Kailua plays 'Aiea at 3 p.m. and Pearl City plays Castle at 6:30 p.m. Both games will be telecast on OC 16.

One of the OIA White Division (Division II) semifinal games — Kalaheo vs. Radford — also was postponed. That game was rescheduled for today at 1 p.m. at Kailua District Park.

The OIA Red and White games originally scheduled for today will be played Monday at CORP.

OIA RED CONSOLATION

KAISER 11, CAMPBELL 6

Pono Meyer hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning and Bryce Marcouiller's solo homer sparked a seven-run sixth inning as the host Cougars (10-4) beat the Sabers (8-6).

CAMPBELL (8-6) 102 000 3— 6 11 0

KAISER (10-4) 300 107 X—11 14 5

Charles Kaalekahi, Dane Benz (5), Christian Marquez (5) and Cameron Howser. Brent Takaki, Shotaro Saito (3) and Bryce Marcouiller. W — Saito. L — Kaalekahi.

Leading hitters — Campbell: Allyn Oliva-Respicio 2-3, 3 runs; Sebastian Locquiao 2-4, double, triple, 3 RBIs; Marquez double, 2 RBIs. Kaiser: Marcouiller 3-3, double, homer, 2 RBIs, 2 runs; Pono Meyer 2-4, homer, 3 RBIs; Jaymes Kawashima 3-4, double, RBI; Cal Tashiro 3-5, double, RBI.

Reported by Tizo Takenishi

ROOSEVELT 6, WAI'ANAE 4

Zach Hamasaki and Justin Otaguro had run-scoring singles, and Lowen Kaho'oilihala added an RBI double in the ninth inning as the visiting Rough Riders (8-7) outlasted the Seariders (7-7).

ROOSEVELT (8-7) 210 000 003—6 12 0

WAI'ANAE (7-7) 000 102 001—4 10 2

Tyler Nitahara and Erik Ching. Daniel Madrano, Kalei Hensley (6) and R.J. Tacgere-Bailey. W — Nitahara. L — Hensley.

Leading hitters — Roosevelt: Zach Hamasaki 2-5, double; Justin Otaguro 2-4; Lowen Kaho'oilihala 2-4, double; Nitahara 3-5; Cameron Fuchigami 2-4. Wai'anae: Ryan Manuel 2-4; Ben McQuown 2-5, double; Dean Tabangcura 2-4; Kaeo Gomes 2-2, double.

Reported by Kekoa Kaluhiokalani

OIA WHITE SEMIFINALS

WAIPAHU 7, KAHUKU 1

Ignatius Mackenzie hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the third for a 2-1 lead and Kaimi Haina, who went 3 for 3, hit a solo homer to spark a four-run fourth as the Marauders (11-0-1) ousted the Red Raiders (8-4) to advance to the final of the OIA White playoffs.

KAHUKU (8-4) 100 000 0—1 8 4

WAIPAHU (11-0-1) 002 410 X—7 7 3

Steven Van Ness and RJ Van Ness. Tryton Gante, Kaimi Haina (7) and Ignatius Mackenzie. W — Gante. L — Van Ness.

Leading hitters — Kahuku: Jordan Kamae 2-4; S. Van Ness 2-3. Waipahu: Haina 3-3, solo homer; Gante double, RBI: Mackenzie 2-run homer.

Reported by Milton Takenaka

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.