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Prep all-stars For a few high school baseball players, yesterday's Kado Gloves Sugar Mill Classic presented a final chance to display their talents before the scouts gathered at sweltering Hans L'Orange Park.
in final slugfest
By Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.comBut most of the players simply enjoyed the opportunity to punctuate their prep careers with the best in the state.
"The dugout's pretty cruise, just eating seeds and getting to know each other a little bit," King Kekaulike senior Vinnie Souki said. "It's pretty laid back, no pressure."
The Aloha Stars, comprised of seniors representing the Interscholastic League of Honolulu and three neighbor island leagues, outslugged the Hawaiian Stars 15-10 in the nine-inning game.
Mid-Pacific catcher Matt Inouye, fresh off last week's state championship victory, led the Aloha Stars by going 2-for-3 at the plate and driving in three runs. Souki made the most of his trip from Maui by pounding out two doubles and two RBIs.
Kamehameha's Shannon Kahale picked up the win despite giving up a two-run homer to Maui's Allen Castro in the second inning. The Aloha Stars rallied for three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-3 lead they never surrendered.
Kahale also went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs.
"It was a little shaky," Kahale said of his mound appearance. "But I just wanted to have fun and play with people I haven't played with. It was different playing with them and not against them."
Aloha starter Patrick McGuigan of MPI gave up singles to Moanalua's Geoffrey Say and Castle's Jordan Tom to open the game but struck out the next three batters. Iolani's Richie Olsen had the shortest and most effective outing of the day, striking out all three hitters he faced in the eighth.
The Aloha Stars scored in each of the first six innings and broke the game open with a five-run third. The team also recorded at least one hit in every inning but the eighth.
Molokai's Keahi Rawlins, who hopes to be selected in next week's Major League Baseball first-year player draft, took the loss for the Hawaiian Stars. He struck out two in two innings on the mound.
Castro's blast was the offensive highlight of the day for the Hawaiian Stars, made of players from the Oahu Interscholastic Association, Maui Interscholastic League and Big Island Interscholastic Federation.
Half of the Hawaiian Stars' runs came courtesy of Aloha pitching. Two runs scored on bases loaded walks and three more came in on wild pitches.
The game not only put players who had been rivals throughout their high school careers in the same dugout, but placed fathers and sons on opposite ends.
Jordan Tom started at shortstop for the Hawaiian Stars, while his father and Castle coach Joe Tom Jr. managed the Aloha Stars. Olsen's father, Rich Sr., was one of the Hawaiian Stars' coaches.
At Hans L'Orange Field
Hawaiian Stars 120 400 003 -- 10 7 4 Aloha Stars 235 131 00x -- 15 16 3 Keahi Rawlins, Dane Awana (3), Allen Castro (4), Jason Peters (5), Chad Kajiyama (6), Trey Brown (7), Chris Mols (8) and Dana Yamashita, Jason Taniguchi (4), Michael Garcia (7); Pat McGuigan, Shannon Kahale (2), Chris Loo (3), Charles Haasenritter (4), Riley Maeda (5), Che Doran (6), Ikena Dupont (7), Richie Olsen (8), Tyler McCready (9) and Matt Inouye, Todd LaFountaine (6). W--Kahale. L--Rawlins.
Leading hitters -- Hawaiian: Geoffrey Say 2-2; Yamashita 2b; Castro HR, 2 RBIs. Aloha: Inouye 2-3, 3 RBIs; Vinnie Souki 2-2, 2 2b; 2 RBIs; Kahale 2-3, 2b, 2 RBIs; Jay Marcouiller 2b; Zach McAngus 2-3, 2 RBIs; Justin Humalon 2b.
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