Iolani begins quest
for state baseball title
The top-seeded Raiders
By Cindy Luis
will meet Kauai in tonight's showdown
Star-BulletinIt's no state secret. Hawaii's high school baseball championship road goes through Iolani. Whether it's today, tomorrow or Saturday, everyone wants a shot at beating the top-seeded Raiders. Kauai, the KIF champ, is up first.
The Red Raiders pounded out 11 hits against four Kalani pitchers and rode the arm of Jahmaal Rebb into tonight's 7 p.m. showdown with nationally-ranked Iolani (20-1) at Aloha Stadium.
"We're looking forward to the challenge," said Kauai coach Ken Mizuo following yesterday's 10-2 win over the Falcons. "We've been playing well all year. We expected we could do well here, but didn't know how well. We'll find out soon."
The Red Raiders have had the last two weeks off, following the KIF season-ender, to concentrate on hitting. The tone was set yesterday when leadoff batter Michael Cardinez drilled a 1-1 offering from Carl Pires into center for a double, the first of Kauai's five extra-base hits into the vastness of the stadium outfield.
The Red Raiders broke open the game with a four-run third, combining five Kalani errors with three walks and a double by Clifton Arakaki.
Meanwhile, Rebb was handcuffing the Falcons with a deceptive fastball and a wicked breaking pitch. Kalani managed just one hit in five innings before Rebb gave way to relievers Jason Koga and Cardinez.
Kalani averted the shutout with two runs in the sixth, using two walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch.
"At first I only had my fastball," said Rebb, who improved to 5-1. "Then everything started working. Getting that early lead helped.
"Now we get to face the top seed and we have to go all out. I think getting this win gives us the advantage."
Kauai will go with its ace, junior Neto Quiroz (5-0), against Iolani tonight. Kalani dropped into this morning's loser-out against Waiakea.
Punahou 5, Castle 4: The Buffanblu, the only team to beat the Raiders this season, used its ace Justin Wayne last night in turning back the Knights. Wayne, a senior headed to Stanford, tied his career mark with 12 strikeouts in tossing a four-hit complete game .
It was a tough turnaround from Punahou (16-6), which left the stadium at 10:45 p.m. and had to be back for today's 11:30 a.m. game against third-seeded Hilo. The alternative -- playing in the consolation bracket -- would have tougher, said Buffanblu coach Pal Eldredge.
"They should give some consideration to the team playing the late game but we're here to play and we'll play when they want us," said Eldredge. "It sounds like a cliche, but we're just happy to be here. No one expected us to be after we started out 3-4.
"Heck, yes, we'd like to see Iolani again. That means we'd be playing in the big one (Saturday's championship)."
Punahou nearly let the chance slip away via four errors that led to all of Castle's runs. The Knights ruined Wayne's no-hitter with two outs in the fifth.
McKinley Collins was safe on error and Kalei Kanaeholo's shot up and over the 6-3 Wayne put runners at first and second. Punahou's biggest assist came from the left-centerfield wall when Ross Murakami blasted a ground-rule double over the 365-foot mark, allowing only Collins to score, stranding Kanaeholo at third.
"No question that (Kanaeholo) would have scored easily if it hadn't gone over the wall," said Eldredge.
Instead, the Knights fell a run short in their seventh-inning rally. Kanaeholo doubled in Keith Taira, Murakami's sacrifice fly scored Boyd Taniguichi and Matt Ramie singled home Kanaeholo to close to 5-4.
With Murakami on second, Wayne got Solomon Lee on a foul pop-up behind first, sending Castle (10-3) into tomorrow's 9:15 a.m. consolation game with Molokai.
Castle 000 010 3--4 4 1 Punahou 101 100 x--5 4 4Keith Taira, Brad Kamihara (4) and Solomon Lee; Justin Wayne and David Sugihara.W--Wayne. L--Taira.
Leading hitters--Cas: Ross Murakami 2b, 2 RBIs; Kalei Kanaeholo 2b, RBI; Matt Ramie RBI. Pun: Scooter Martines 2b, RBI; David Sugihara RBI; Keenan Sue RBI; Keola Ane 2b; Blair Suzuki 3b.
Trailing 5-1 early, Molokai (21-4) rallied for an 8-7 lead in the bottom of the fifth with four runs. Miles Luuloa's two-out, bases-loaded single drove in two to help put the Farmers on top for the first time in the game.
Kaiser came back in the sixth to tie it on three consecutive singles. Charlton Carter's groundout scored Grant Sato for the go-ahead run and pinch-hitter Sam Takagishi doubled in an insurances run to halt Molokai's 13-game winning streak and lift the Cougars (23-6-1) into today's 4:30 p.m. game with No. 2 seed Mililani.
Kaiser 050 113 0--10 13 1 Molokai 102 140 0-- 8 9 4Grant Sato, Jason Reeve (5), Doug Goeas (5) and Chad Furuta; Kekoa Colon and Keala Porgatorio.W--Goeas. L--Colon.
Leading hitters--Kai: Bryce Uegawachi 3-4, 2 2b, RBI; Darren Chu 3-5, 2 RBIs; Grant Sato 2-3; Jason Castro 2-3, 3b, 3 RBIs. Mol: Rikio Takeo 2-2, 2b, RBI; Miles Luuloa 2-4, 3b, 2 RBIs; Lance Delos Santos 2-4, RBI:Keala Porgatorio 3b.
The win puts the Chargers (19-7) into the 2 p.m. quarterfinal game with No. 4-seeded Maui.
Yamashita was backed by a four-run fourth in which Pearl City used four hits and an error. Jonathan Fukumoto's run-scoring double highlighted the decisive inning.
Pearl City 000 400 1--5 8 1 Waiakea 000 000 0--0 5 2Sean Yamashita and James Walker; Chris Gossert, Jason Takamoto (7) and Derek Sumida.W--Sean Yamashita. L--Chris Gossert.
Leading hitters--PC: Michael Gomes 2-3, 2b, RBI; Jonathan Fukumoto 2b, RBI. Wai: Ernie Shim 2-3; Blayne Yamamoto 2b.
Kalani (11-14-1) 000 002 0-- 2 2 5 Kauai (16-3) 114 130 x--10 11 0Carl Pires, Robert Shimabuku (3), Collin Funamura (3), Lee Nakamoto (6) and Michael Yasunaga; Jahmaal Rebb, Jason Koga (6), Michael Cardinez (6) and Spencer Yates.W--Rebb. L--Pires.
Leading hitters--Kal: Shane Komine RBI. Kau: Michael Cardinez 2-3, 2b, RBI; Jahmaal Rebb 2-3, 2b, RBI; Ryan Koga 2-3, 2b, RBI; Tommy John Cox 2b; Clifton Arakaki 2b; Eric Masters RBI; Neto Quiroz RBI; T.J. Shigemoto RBI.
