Sunday, May 13, 2001

[ PREP BASEBALL ]

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Moanalua, Kailua
in OIA final

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By Jason Kaneshiro
Star-Bulletin

Conventional wisdom dictates that defense wins championships, but Kailua is making a run at a second-straight Oahu Interscholastic Association baseball title on the strength of devastating offense.

The Surfriders advanced to the OIA championship game by pounding Pearl City, 16-2, in a semifinal yesterday. The game was shortened to five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule.

Kailua will next face Moanalua, which beat Kaiser 11-7 in the other semifinal, for the OIA title Monday at Hans L'Orange Park. Both teams also earned passes into the Hawaii High School Athletic Association tournament with their wins yesterday.

Pearl City and Kaiser will open Monday's doubleheader with the third-place game at 4:30 p.m. to determine the OIA's final entry in the state tournament.

For Moanalua to dethrone Kailua, the Menehune pitching staff will have to subdue a Surfrider lineup that scored 28 runs on 29 hits -- 14 for extra bases -- in two playoff games.

"Our bats are coming around and we're starting to hit the ball a little better," said Kailua coach Corey Ishigo. "Hopefully we can keep that going ... I think our whole game is coming around a little bit better and hopefully we're getting there at the right time."

Kailua jumped on the Chargers with six runs on seven hits in the bottom of the first inning yesterday, and continued the onslaught with two runs in the second and four in both the third and fourth innings. Pearl City aided Kailua with seven errors.

"When they hit the ball like that, they'll beat anybody," said Pearl City coach Mel Seki.

Jarid Kawamoto, a junior first-baseman, led the Kailua attack by going 4-for-4 and driving in seven runs. He launched an offering from Cory Fujinaga over the right field fence for a three-run home run in the first inning and followed with run-scoring singles in each of his next three plate appearances

"The first pitch was a ball, so I was thinking fastball, and if I did get a fastball, to let my hands fly," Kawamoto said of his home run swing.

Kawamoto said the three-week break in the season due to the teachers' strike actually helped him regain his batting eye for the stretch run.

"I was in a huge slump before the strike and when we came back I started hitting," he said.

Seki admitted that the compressed regular season schedule and back-to-back playoff games may have left his pitching staff a bit arm-weary.

"It's been a hectic regular season and tournament, and their pitching staff was better than ours," Seki said.

At Kailua H.S. Field

Pearl City (7-4)	002	00	--	2	4	7
Kailua (10-2)	624	4x	--	16	16	0

Cory Fujinaga, Kaipo Duke (1), Daniel Nabal (3) and Gavin Concepcion; Kawika Kekaula, Travis Hayashida (5) and Cody Vickery. W--Kekaula. L--Fujinaga.

Leading hitters--Kailua: Hayashida, 2-3, 2B, 3 runs; Chris Ching, 2-2, 2B, 4 runs; Jarid Kawamoto, 4-4, 3-run HR, 7 RBIs.

Moanalua 11, Kaiser 7:

The Menehunes earned their first trip to the state tournament by winning their second road game in as many days. The win also propels Moanalua to its first OIA championship game in school history.

"These kids are pretty confident," said Moanalua coach Scott Yamada. "All year long people underestimated us."

Moanalua, the fourth seed from the OIA East, took the lead with three runs in the second inning, highlighted by the first of Jimmy Strombach's two home runs. Kaiser took a 5-3 lead with four runs in the third inning, but the Menehunes responded by plating six runs in the fourth to take control.

At Kaiser H.S. Field

Moanalua (9-3)	030	602	0	--	11	6	0
Kaiser (8-3-1)	014	100	1	--	7	8	3

Scott Batula, Lorin Nakagawa (7) and Nakagawa, Brett Tanigawa (7); Nathan Ota, Todd Nishihira (4) and Chris Gallego, Dayne Uchiyama (5). W--Batula. L--Ota.

Leading hitters--Moanalua: Jimmy Strombach 2-3, 2 HR, 3 RBIs. Kaiser: Gallego 2-3, 2B.

Junior varsity

Friday's results

Aiea 12, Radford 2

Kalani 20, McKinley 0

BIIF

Waiakea 8, Konawaena 0:

Eric Tao pitched a five-hitter as Waiakea captured the Big Island Interscholastic Federation title and a state tournament berth yesterday. Tao, a senior right-hander, struck out six.

Konawaena (5-3)	000	000	0	--	0	5	4
Waiakea (8-0)	010	115	x	--	8	11	1

WP--Eric Tao. LP--James McGowan.

Leading hitters--Waiakea: Robert Inouye 2-4; Branden Kawazoe 3-3, 3 RBIs; Dana Yamashita 2-3.

Kealakehe 5, Hilo 1:

Morgan Kruger-Burgess pitched a one-hitter in the upset. Hilo's loss gave St. Joseph the BIIF's second state tournament berth.

Hilo (5-3)	000	000	1	--	1	1	4
Kealakehe (6-3)	201	002	x	--	5	5	2

WP-- Morgan Krueger-Burgess. LP--Brett Kimura.

Leading hitter--Kealakehe: Jake Vancil 2 RBIs.

Pahoa 10, Ka'u 3:

Greg Lucas pitched a three-hitter and batted 3-for-4 to lead the Daggers.

Ka‘u (1-8)	100	101	0	--	3	3	4
Pahoa (3-5)	018	100	x	--	10	10	2

WP--Greg Lucas. LP--Gerik Akamu.

Leading hitters--Pahoa: Lucas 3-4; Randell Naiga 2-4. Ka'u: Chad Queja 2-3.

Hawaii Preparatory Academy 8, Honokaa 6:

Bully Fergerstrom drove in the go-ahead run and outdueled Keola Nobriga, who struck out 13.

Hawaii Prep (3-6)	200	010	32	--	8	10	5
Honokaa (1-7)	002	101	20	--	6	6	5

WP--Bully Fergerstrom. LP--Keola Nobriga.

Leading hitters--HPA: Alex Morriss 3-4; Kaiao Archer 2-3, 2 RBIs; Michael Hickman 2 RBIs. Honokaa: Joshua Hart 3-4; Jeremy Moniz 2-3, 2 RBIs.

Standings

1. Waiakea, 8-0; 2. St. Joseph, 7-2; 3. Kealakehe, 6-3; 4. Hilo, 5-3; 4. Konawaena, 5-3; 6. Kohala, 3-5; 6. Pahoa, 3-5; 8. Hawaii Prep, 3-6; 9. Honokaa, 1-7; 10. Ka'u, 1-8.

Today

Konawaena at Hilo,9:30 a.m.; Kohala at Pahoa, Honokaa at Waiakea, 1 p.m.

End of regular season.

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