[ HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS ]
Apparently BYU football isn't the only team that has trouble with the turf at Aloha Stadium. Mid-Pacific Institute uncharacteristically committed five errors and lost last night's ILH championship game to Kamehameha 6-4. Kamehameha tips
Mid-Pac for ILH titleBy Marc Dixon
Special to the Star-BulletinBut the turf had lots of help.
Shannon Kahale, Kamehameha's talented left-hander held the Owls hitless for 5 2/3 innings, allowing only two baserunners through the fifth inning. At one point, Kahale retired 12 batters in a row before walking Ryan Leong in the sixth.
"Shannon was awesome tonight, until he ran out of gas, he was pitching his heart out," said coach Vern Ramie. "We also got two or three hits with two outs and that was key."
Offensively, the Warriors got all they needed from shortstop Keoni Ruth and first baseman J.P. Kennedy. Ruth drilled three hits and drove in two, and Kennedy knocked in three runs.
"I was just trying to stay back and look for something to drive. I was getting a lot of curveballs," said Ruth.
The regular-season ILH champs struck early. Ruth and Kahale singled in the first and Ruth came in with the game's first run on Kennedy's fielder's choice. Kamehameha added their next five runs on doubles by Nick Freitas in the third inning, Kennedy in the fourth, and Ruth in the sixth.
The Owls, who captured the ILH postseason tournament last Saturday, mounted a rally in the sixth. Using five straight hits, Mid-Pac scored four runs with two outs and chased starter Kahale.
Ikena DuPont entered for the Warriors and recorded the final four outs for the save.
At Aloha Stadium
Kamehameha (16-3) 100 122 0 -- 6 9 3 Mid-Pacific (15-4) 000 004 0 -- 4 5 5 Shannon Kahale, Ikena DuPont (6) and Baba Merino. Ryan Basco, Patrick McGuigan (4) and Matt Inouye. W -- Kahale. L -- Basco.
Leading hitters -- Kamehameha: Keoni Ruth 3-4, 2b, 2 RBIs; JP Kennedy 2b, 3 RBIs; Nick Freitas 2b, RBI. Mid-Pacific: Isaac Omura 2b, RBI.
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