Tuesday, November 25, 1997

Ah Yat and Masaoka get All-Star starts

Star-Bulletin staff

Former Iolani and University of Hawaii star Paul Ah Yat of the West Oahu CaneFires and Waiakea's Onan Masaoka of the Hilo Stars will be the starting pitchers for the Outrigger and Volcano divisions, respectively, in Friday's Hawaii Winter Baseball All-Star Game at Maehara Stadium in Wailuku, Maui.

The Honolulu Sharks' Matt Apana, a former Roosevelt High and UH pitching ace, also was named to the Outrigger Division All-Star squad.

There were seven unanimous selections in the media voting - West Oahu first baseman Nobuhiko Matsunaka, Honolulu outfielder Gabe Kapler and Honolulu third baseman Robert Fick in the Outrigger Division, Hilo catcher Dave Schmidt, Hilo outfielder Ric Johnson, Maui outfielder Randy Winn and Maui first baseman Calvin Pickering in the Volcano Division.

The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

CaneFires 9, Stars 1:At Hilo, Nobuhiko Matsunaka drove in three runs with a single, double and homer, leading the West Oahu CaneFires to a 9-1 victory over the Hilo Stars last night at Francis Wong Stadium.

Winning pitcher Shinji Kurano limited the Stars to one run and four hits over the first six innings and three West Oahu relievers completed a six-hitter.

Stingrays-Sharks, suspended: The Maui-Honolulu game at Rainbow Stadium was suspended because of rain in the fourth inning with the Sharks ahead, 3-0. It will be resumed at 5 p.m. today. The teams' regularly scheduled game, reduced to seven innings, will follow.

FLEMING PLAYER OF WEEK: Hilo Stars pitcher Emar Fleming, outstanding in two starts during the week of Nov. 18-23, was named the Hawaii Winter Baseball Player of the Week.

Fleming did not allow a run in 11 innings, struck out eight and picked up two victories.

Outrigger Division

        W  L  Pct.  GB

Honolulu   22  18  .550  -  

West Oahu   19  22  .463  31/2

Volcano Division

     W  L  Pct.  GB

Maui   20  19  .513  -  

Hilo   19  21  .475  11/2

CaneFires 9, Stars 1

West Oahu    003  003  003-9  14  1

Hilo    010  000  000-1  6  2

Shinji Kurano, Phil Grundy (7), Jon Edwards (8), Joe Lisio (9) aud Mike Barrett; Jeff Kelly, Kyle Kawabata (6), R.A. Dickey (7), David Lundberg (9) and Tucker Barr. W-Kurano. L-Kelly.

Leading hitters-West Oahu: Nobuhiko Matsunaka, 3-4, 3 runs, 3 RBIs, 2b, HR; Jim Chamblee, 3-5, 2 runs; Terrence Long, 3-4. Hilo: Mark Budzinski, 2-4.

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Hawaii Winter Baseball
1997 Roster & Schedule