Kaiser capitalizes on Kauai error
It was the same old story for Toby Inouye and the Kaiser baseball team.
In a tight game that featured just three runs, the Cougars took advantage of a critical two-out error by Kauai in the sixth inning to score the go-ahead run, and Inouye got Andrew Renaud to ground out with two runners on in the bottom of the seventh inning as Kaiser prevailed over Kauai 2-1 yesterday in the opening round of the Wally Yonamine FoundationHHSAA State Baseball Championship at Les Murakami Stadium.
STATE BASEBALL
All games at Les Murakami Stadium unless otherwise noted.
Seeds: 1. Punahou. 2. Pearl City. 3. Waiakea. 4. St. Anthony.
YESTERDAY
Game 1: KS-Maui 5, Kalani 2
2: Kaiser 2, Kauai 1
3: KS-Hawaii 5, Kailua 3
4: Hilo 7, Mililani 1
today
5: Waiakea vs. Kaiser, 9 a.m.
6: St. Anthony vs. KS-Hawaii, 11:30 a.m.
7: Pearl City vs. KS-Maui, 5 p.m.
8: Punahou vs. Hilo, 7:30 p.m.
tomorrow
9: Kailua vs. Mililani, 10 a.m. (CORP)
10: Kauai vs. Kalani, 10 a.m. (CORP)
11: Losers Games 6 & 8, 12:30 p.m.
12: Losers Games 5 & 7, 3 p.m.
13: Winners Games 5 & 7, 5 p.m.
14: Winners Games 6 & 8, 8 p.m.
Saturday
15: Consolation championship--Winners Games 9 & 10, 11 a.m.
16: Fifth-place game--Winners Games 11 & 12, 1:30 p.m.
17: Third-place game--Losers Games 13 & 14, 4 p.m.
18: Championship game--Winners Games 14 & 13, 7 p.m.
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Kaiser advanced to a quarterfinal game against Big Island champion Waiakea today at 9 a.m.
Inouye overcame a shaky first inning to allow just three hits and no runs over the final six innings while recording all six of his strikeouts, but had to escape a jam in the final inning.
Pinch hitter Braden Balocan led off the seventh with a ground-rule double down the left-field line. Inouye then got a strikeout and a groundout before walking Rysan Sakamoto with two outs. Renaud, who already had two hits in the game, took the first pitch for a strike before grounding out to second baseman Joe Honma to end the game.
"We've been in that situation so many times this season that it didn't faze us," Kaiser coach Peter Ho said. "We know Toby's not going to pressure out in that situation. They're going to have to hit the ball to beat him."
Inouye has found himself in tough late-inning situations all season long, but as evident by his 7-1 season record, never seems to get rattled.
Inouye put the Cougars on the board in the first inning with a two-out double to the gap in left-center field that scored Honma. The Red Raiders got it back in the bottom of the inning when Aaron Song blooped a double to center that scored Sakamoto.
Both starting pitchers settled down after the opening frame, as Kauai starter Jordan Buster matched Inouye through five innings until Bryce Marcouiller opened the sixth with an infield single. The crafty left-hander recorded the next two outs and got Michael Ramia to hit a slow grounder to third base that Trent Allianic fielded cleanly. But his throw went over the first baseman's head and into the right-field bullpen, allowing pinch runner Mason Masaki to score the game-winning run.
"With us, it always comes down to who makes that first mistake," Ho said. "That one play was it."
The Cougars didn't commit an error in the game, as shortstop Cal Tashiro and third baseman Matt Muranaka made multiple tough plays on grounders that took big bounces on the tricky stadium turf.
"We've never practiced on this kind of turf before, but my guys made all the plays," Inouye said. "Knowing you've got guys behind you that have your back makes it easier on me."
At Les Murakami Stadium
Kaiser (10-5) |
100 |
001 |
0 |
-- |
2 |
6 |
0
|
Kauai (11-2) |
100 |
000 |
0 |
-- |
1 |
6 |
2 |
Toby Inouye and Bryce Marcouiller. Jordan Buster, Trent Allianic (7) and Anthony Calves.
W--Inouye.
L--Buster.
Leading hitters--Kais: Inouye 2b, RBI; Michael Ramia 2b. Kauai: Andrew Renaud 2-4; Aaron Soong 1-3, 2b, 2 SBs, RBI; Braden Balocan 2b.
Kamehameha-Maui 5, Kalani 2
The Warriors took advantage of two Kalani errors to score three unearned runs in the second inning and Isaiah Kaneakua gave up two runs over 5 2/3 innings as Kamehameha-Maui beat the Falcons. The Warriors moves on to face second-seeded Pearl City today at 5 p.m.
Jordan Sumida drove in Ridge Carpenter with a triple and Jason Lee singled home Sumida to cut the Warriors' lead to 3-2 in the third inning.
Kalani had runners on first and second with two outs in the sixth, but relief pitcher Naea Kalehuawehe got Carpenter out to end the inning. Kalehuawehe recorded the final four outs for the save.
Kamuela Kalehuawehe-Valentine was the only Warrior with two hits.
At Les Murakami Stadium
KS-Maui (11-5) |
030 |
020 |
0 |
-- |
5 |
6 |
1
|
Kalani (10-5) |
002 |
000 |
0 |
-- |
2 |
7 |
2 |
Isaiah Kaneakua, Naea Kalehuawehe (6) and Kamahele Chow. Shamus Kumashiro, Dillon Matsuda (2), Micah Takahashi (5) and Jason Lee.
W--Kaneakua.
L--Kumashiro.
S--Kalehuawehe.
Leading hitters--KSM: Dayton Alexander 2b; Kamuela Kalehuawehe-Valentine 2-2, run, RBI. Kaln: Ridge Carpenter 2-4, 2b, run; Jordan Sumida 2-4, 3b, run, RBI; Keola Wakazuru 2-3.