StarBulletin.com

Moanalua upsets 'Iolani


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POSTED: Friday, May 08, 2009

Dae Yang Kim was once known as the best rapper on the Moanalua baseball team.

The rapping rep can step aside for now. The 6-foot-4 sidearmer stifled No. 2 seed 'Iolani for 5 1/3 innings and reliever Jacob Fukuyama closed out the win as Moanalua upset the Raiders 4-2 in the Division I quarterfinals of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA State Baseball Championships at Les Murakami Stadium.

               

     

 

Today's D-I semifinals

       

        at Murakami Stadium
       

» Kailua vs. Moanalua, 4 p.m.

       

» Kamehameha vs. Punahou, 7 p.m.

       

The loss ended 'Iolani's state title hopes in the final season of coach Dean Yonamine, who will retire. Na Menehune coach Scott Yamada was as stunned as anyone.

“;I dunno. We've never been this far,”; he said. “;Dae struggled all year, but he's been improving the last few weeks. His ball has a lot of movement with the angle of his release.”;

Kim was cool in the heat of his first state tourney start. He especially needed help after hitting three Raiders in the first two innings, but teamed with Fukuyama for a two-hitter.

“;They were crowding the plate with my curveball. They wouldn't let it break,”; he said. “;So I went with my changeup. My changeup was on it today.”;

'Iolani reached Kim for a run in the second when Reyn Nagamine singled, Kevin Barayuga and Kela Marciel were hit by pitches, and Jensen Park's sacrifice fly to center brought Nagamine home.

In the third, Miles Higa tripled to right and Tim Arakawa followed with a triple to left to score Higa. Chris Liu-Saguid then socked a sacrifice fly to center as Na Menehune took a 2-1 lead.

In the fourth, with runners at second and third, Landon Yoshikawa executed a squeeze bunt; Raiders relief pitcher Breland Almadova's toss to catcher Grant Iwamoto was a bit high, allowing Daniel Sugihara to score from third.

Moanalua added another run in the fifth when Sugihara singled to left, scoring Arakawa for a 4-1 lead.

'Iolani had two runners on base in the seventh when Jarrett Arakawa (flu symptoms) returned to the game. He sent a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Marciel from third. However, Almadova tried to advance from second to third, and Michael Egami fired a strike to third to nail him for the game's final out.

                                                                                                                                                                           
'Iolani (18-5) 0100001232
       
Moanalua (13-4) 002110x463
       

Sheldon Lee, Breland Almadova (4) and Grant Iwamoto. Dae Yang Kim, Jacob Fukuyama (6) and Chris Liu-Saguid. W—Kim. L—Lee. Sv—Fukuyama.

Leading hitters—'Iolani: Reyn Nagamine 2-2, run. Moanalua: Miles Higa 2-3, triple, run; Timothy Arakawa 1-3, triple, 2 runs, RBI; Daniel Sugihara 2-3, RBI, run.

Kailua 11, Hilo 5

Kale Sumner, Ryan McMonigle and Alika Ramseyer-Ho socked three hits apiece to lead the Surfriders .

                                                                                                                                                                           
Hilo (12-2) 0011030573
       
Kailua (12-4) 004430x11151
       

Kendal Ushijima, Sydnie Wong (4), Kaina Respecio and Ridge Hoopii-Haslem. Jared Matsumoto, Ryan McMonigle (6) and Kale Sumner. W—Matsumoto. L—Ushijima.

Leading hitters—Hilo: Ridge Hoopii-Haslem 3-4, 2 runs. Kailua: Jared Iha 2-3, 3 runs, RBI; Kale Sumner 3-3, RBI; Ryan McMonigle 3-4, 2 RBIs, 2 runs; Alika Ramseyer-Ho 3-4, 4 RBIs, run; Elia Lono 2-4, 2 runs, RBI.

Kamehameha 3, Kamehameha-Maui 1

Piikea Kitamura's double to right gave the Warriors of Oahu a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Keanu Carmichael added a solo homer in the second en route to the win.

                                                                                                                                                           
Kamehameha (18-5)1100001390
       
KS-Maui (11-5)0100000121
       

Bryson Kenolio, Harley Holt (2) and Keanu Carmichael. Isaiah Kaneakua and Ethan Cabatingan. W—Holt. L—Kaneakua.

Leading hitters—Kamehameha: Jacob Meyer 2-3, run; Piikea Kitamura 2-4, RBIi; Keanu Carmichael HR; Josh Wong 2-3, run.