Saturday, December 13, 1997
By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
The Sharks' Michael Glendenning bowls over the Stars'
David Schmidt but is out at the plate last night.
Sharks avoid third strike
in league championshipAfter two straight losses,
By Al Chase
they rally past the Stars
Star-Bulletin SportsThe Honolulu Sharks can finally hoist the Hawaii Winter Baseball championship banner after winning a game befitting a showdown between division champions. The adage "the third time's a charm" fit the occasion for manager Dave Anderson's Outrigger Division winners. The Sharks were losers to the Maui Stingrays in the last two title games.
Last night at Hans L'Orange Park -- before 1,888 chilled fans who discovered why it's called winter baseball -- the Sharks rallied once to tie, once to go ahead and a final time to win.
The 9-8 victory over the Hilo Stars was achieved in the bottom of the ninth inning when third baseman Carlos Villalobos looped a no-out single down the right-field line that rolled into the corner and scored Damon Minor from second base.
The numerous momentum swings and constant battling back by both teams was a credit to the players, in their 10th consecutive month of competition, many with close to 200 games on their 1997 résumé.
A number of potential heros emerged in the final three innings after the Sharks scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to even the count.
Hilo starter Onan Masaoka pitched the first five innings and departed with the Volcano Division champions leading, 4-2.
Right-hander Trevor Schaffer came on in the sixth and experienced a pitcher's nightmare by not getting ahead of the hitters in the ball-strike count.
"It was fortunate we got that opportunity because we haven't been hitting well lately," Anderson said.
The first four Sharks Schaffer faced -- Villalobos, Damon Johnson, Michael Glendenning and Giuseppe Chiaramonte -- singled for a 4-4 tie. After a sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third with one out, Hilo's defense prevented further damage.
Norm Hutchins flied out to Stars left fielder Bo Porter, who threw a strike to catcher Dave Schmidt. Glendenning bowled over Schmidt, who held on to the ball, saw the out call, then patted Glendenning on the butt as if to say, "It's O.K., good effort," as they headed for their respective dugouts.
The Sharks struck with two outs in the seventh when Minor singled and Villalobos walked. Damon Johnson worked the count to 3-2, then crushed a Jason Temple fastball over the scoreboard in left field for a 7-4 lead.
"He kept coming at me with fastballs," Johnson said. "My hot zone is middle-away to right field, but this pitch was middle-in and I was able to turn on it."
It was his first home run of the season and came in his 133rd at bat.
The Stars were not done. In the eighth, Billy Deck's double scored one run and he came home on Corey Pointer's single to cut the Honolulu advantage to one.
In the top of the ninth, Ric Johnson, 0-for-4 in the game, belted his first home run of the season, a towering drive that cleared the net in left field and scored Adam Kennedy. It came in Johnson's 163rd at bat.
With selection of the game's Most Valuable Player seemingly changing every half inning, enter Armando Almanza, Hilo's closer with a 3-0 record and six saves in 18 appearances.
But the Hilo defense committed its only two errors of the game in the bottom of the ninth.
Derek Baker's wild throw into the picnic area behind first base after he bobbled Gabe Kapler's leadoff grounder to third, gave the Sharks a runner at second with no outs.
"My first job is to just try and move the runner to third," said Minor, a 6-foot-7, 230-pound left-hander hitter.
"The ball was over the plate and I managed to get it out there," he said of his soft single to left-center field that sent Kapler home.
When center fielder Ric Johnson misplayed it, Minor alertly took second. Villalobos then hit the eighth pitch from Almanza to score the game-winner.
Villalobos was the MVP.
"It's a good thing we hit last. What a great way to end the season," Anderson said.
Box Score
Sharks 9, Stars 8
Hilo Honolulu ab r h bi ab r h bi Kennedy ss 5 1 3 0 Hutchins cf 5 0 0 0 R. Johnson cf 5 1 1 2 Abernathy 2b 4 0 0 0 Porter lf 5 2 1 0 Fick rf 0 0 0 0 Baker 3b 5 1 2 1 Kapler rf 5 1 2 1 Budzinski rf 4 1 1 0 Minor 1b 5 2 2 1 Deck 1b 1 2 1 2 Villalobos 3b 4 2 3 1 Pointer dh 4 0 2 1 D. Johnson dh 4 3 3 3 Schmidt c 3 0 1 1 Glendenning lf 4 0 1 1 McClure 2b 3 0 0 1 Chiaramonte c 4 1 4 2 Castro ss 3 0 1 0 Totals 35 8 12 8 Totals 38 9 16 9 Hilo 021 001 022--8 Honolulu 001 102 302--9No outs when winning run scored.E--R. Johnson, Baker, Glendenning. DP--Hilo 2 (Porter-Schmidt, Kennedy-McClure-Deck). LOB--Hilo 5, Honolulu 8.
2B--Baker 2 (9), Deck (14), Kapler (12), Chiaramonte (2). 3B--Kennedy (2). HR--R. Johnson (1), D. Johnson (1). SH--Castro. SF--Deck, Schmidt, McClure. SB--Kennedy (13), Budzinski (4), Pointer (2), Kapler (7), Chiaramonte (1).
IP H R ER BB SO Masaoka 5 6 2 2 1 4 Schaffer 1 4 2 2 0 0 Temple 1 2 3 3 1 2 O’Connor 1 2 0 0 0 0 Almanza (L,3-1) 2 2 2 1 0 0 Cooper 7 4 2 2 2 2 Kawahara 1-2/3 2 2 2 0 1 Stentz (W,4-5) 1-1/3 3 2 2 0 0WP--Masaoka. PB--Schmidt.T--2:55. A--1,888.
Hawaii Winter Baseball
1997 Roster & Schedule
