[ HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS ]
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Call it the luck of the Owls. Mid-Pac scores
comeback winBy Marc Dixon
Special to the Star-BulletinWith two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning of last night's state baseball tournament game at Murakami Stadium, pinch runner Kurt Uwaine scored from second base on a wild pitch by Aiea's Blake Lamug, giving Mid-Pacific a 3-2 win.
"I knew I had a chance when I saw the ball get away," said Uwaine. "When I saw coach waving me in I felt so happy because I knew I was gonna score."
"Sometimes you just gotta get lucky," said Mid-Pacific coach Dunn Muramaru.
For four-plus innings, luck was all the Owls could hope for. Lamug was dominating the Owls with a one-hit shutout through 4 1/3 and the Aiea offense had staked LaMug a 2-0 lead.
Then, following a hit batsman, the Owls woke up.
Matt Inouye drilled the first of two laser-like doubles to give Mid-Pac its first run.The very next inning, pinch hitter Marc Inamasu tied the game with an RBI single.
After retiring Aiea in order in the top of the seventh, the Owls manufactured the winning run.
Inouye doubled with one out. Following an intentional walk to Isaac Omura and a fielder's choice that forced Inouye out at third, Muramaru pinch-ran for Omura. On the second pitch to Jonathan Hee, Uwaine scored from second.
"I felt it," said Inouye. "Right after the first double I felt it, I knew we were gonna win."
Aiea (9-4) 001 100 0 -- 2 4 2 Mid-Pacific (16-5) 000 011 1 -- 3 5 2 Blake Lumag and Justin Nii. Ryan Basco, Patrick McGuigan (5) and Matt Inouye. W--McGuigan. L--Lumag.
Leading hitters--Aiea: Ricky Takushi 1-2, run, SB. MPI: Inouye 2-3, 2 2Bs, RBI.
Mililani 5, St Joseph's 0: Before the start of the game between the Trojans and Cardinals last night in, a group of people outside the stadium loudly voiced their concern over the $10 charge (including $3 for parking) per person to watch a high school game.
Their complaints were trivial. The real thievery was inside the stadium.
Led by by Gainor Nitta's four thefts and courtesy runner Troy Flores' three, Mililani stole 8 bases in the first four innings and put early and intense pressure on the Big Island Interscholastic Federation's second place team. The aggressive strategy worked as the Trojans jumped out to a 5-0 lead over the Cardinals.
"Our season stats were five steals for the whole regular season," Mililani coach Cary Kihara said. "Then close to 20 in the OIA tournament and now eight tonight. I think the kids feel faster on the turf."
The Trojans also benefited from a complete game four-hit effort by senior Adam Inaba. The right-hander retired the first 10 batters he faced and did not allow a Cardinal runner to pass second base. Getting ahead early in the count, Inaba kept the Cardinals in check while saving the Mililani bullpen for the remainder of the tournament.
"Basically I just spotted my fastball in and out and kept them off balance," said Inaba. "Our scouting report on them was kind of vague so we just went out and pitched and played our game."
St. Joseph (10-5) 000 000 0 -- 0 4 2 Mililani (11-3) 200 300 x -- 5 7 1 Tyson Usui, Che Doran (6) and Ben Bautista. Adam Inaba and Shawn Saito. W--Inaba. L--Usui.
Leading hitters -- St. Joseph: Davin Feary 2-3. Mililani: Nick Mizusawa 2-4, 3b, 2 RBIs; Shawn Saito 1-2, RBI.
Roosevelt 7, Maui 4: Chris Mols fired a complete-game three-hitter as the Rough Riders overcame six errors to defeat the Sabers.
Mols gave up no earned runs and struck out four.
Maui rallied in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three runs on four Rough Rider errors. But Mols got Vance Otake to ground out to end the game. Roosevelt advances to face Big Island champion Hilo today at 11:30 a.m.
Roosevelt (10-3) 000 214 0 -- 7 7 6 Maui (16-4) 010 000 3 -- 4 3 3 Chris Mols and Brandon Loo. Allen Castro, Manu Kaina (7) and Vance Otake. W--Mols. L--Castro.
Leading hitters -- Roosevelt: Corey Higa 2-3, RBI; Matthew Terukina 2-3, 3b, 2 RBIs; Loo 2-3, 3b, RBI.
Waianae 10, Kapaa 0: Dane Awana and Chad Rodrigues combined on a three-hit shutout to lead the Seariders over the Warriors.
Awana struck out six in three innings of work. The game was called after five innings due to the 10-run rule.
Waianae takes on top-seeded Kamehameha tonight at 7 p.m.
Waianae (11-2) 404 02 -- 10 8 1 Kapaa (8-7) 000 00 -- 0 3 4 Five innings, 10-run rule
Dane Awana, Chad Rodrigues (3) and Michael Ferreira. Kyle Neuberger, Kai Lopez (5) and Bradley Wakuta. W-- Awana L--Neuberger.
Leading hitters -- Waianae: Ferreira 2-4, 2 RBIs; Travis Rodrigues 2b, 2 RBIs. Kapaa: Tyler Wakuta 2b; Dustin Mundon 2b.
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