KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kailua's Kekoa Su'a was hit in the back during the eighth inning yesterday. He went on to score the tying run off a wild pitch, as the Surfriders secured a berth in the state tournament with a 10-9 win over Pearl City in the quarterfinals of the OIA tournament.
Kailua hits
dramatic highThe Surfriders have gotten
used to winning the wild ones
The Kailua baseball team has played dramatic games all season, but the Surfriders outdid themselves last night.
Pearl City nearly pulled off an improbable comeback for the second night in a row, but Kailua staged a rally of its own for a wild 10-9 win in eight innings in the quarterfinals of the Oahu Interscholastic Association tournament.
Other OIA winners last night to earn state berths were Waianae -- who will play Kailua today -- Aiea, and Roosevelt. Kailua hosts Waianae in a semifinal today at 4 p.m.. Roosevelt visits Aiea in the other semifinal, also at 4 p.m.
The teams that lost have a chance to qualify as the OIA's fifth team.
Jordan Montgomery slipped a single past shortstop to plate the winning run as Kailua rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth -- after blowing an 8-4 lead in the seventh.
The Surfriders, state champions in 2001, advanced to the OIA semifinals and secured a berth in the state tournament.
"I guess our team doesn't like to lose," Kailua coach Corey Ishigo said. "That's the way we play the game and they'll do whatever it takes to win.
"We've had a lot of close games. Our kids know how to handle pressure and today they rose to the occasion when they had to."
The Surfriders responded to adversity when backed into a corner, but they had trouble handling the prosperity of an 8-4 lead in the seventh.
KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kailua starter Chris Mahelona pitched into the fifth inning.
Two major errors, one by Montgomery at third base, allowed two runs to score and the Chargers tied the game with two outs on Rex Yamaguchi's two-run single.
Yamaguchi lined Michael Kealoha's pitch just past diving second baseman Shaun Sasaki -- the ball tipped off his glove -- to tie the game at 8.
"We made a lot of errors in that inning, throwing the ball around," Ishigo said. "But you have to give Pearl City credit. They put the ball in play. They laid down some terrific bunts to make our guys throw the ball away."
In the top of the eighth, Corey Giammalvo lined a two-out RBI single to right to give Pearl City a 9-8 lead.
The Surfriders like to hit the ball -- they scored 10 runs for the sixth time in 11 games -- but they tied the game in the eighth without getting a hit.
"I gave them the green light," Ishigo said. "That's how we play the game. If (the opposing pitcher) is wild we'll take pitches, but they look for pitches they can hit."
The Surfriders loaded the bases on two hit batsmen and a walk, but right after Davin Nakasone recorded the second out of the inning with a strikeout, he threw a wild pitch that allowed Kekoa Su'a to score. Another walk loaded the bases, setting up Montgomery's heroics.
"Anything to get on base, I was willing to take a bean anywhere on my body," Montgomery said.
"I screwed up the inning before and I wanted to redeem myself."
Added Ishigo: "He felt really bad about making that error and he did whatever he had to do to help out the team."
Kailua took a 6-3 lead with six runs in the second, highlighted by Kealoha's two-run single and Cody Teixeira Vickery's two-run home run.
Pearl City got to within 6-4 in the fourth when Jayson Kira worked a bases-loaded walk.
But the Chargers also squandered major scoring opportunities in the middle innings -- twice stranding runners at second and third, and leaving the bases full in the fourth.
Chris Mahelona pitched into the fifth inning and Kealoha went the rest of the way for the victory. Nakasone went the distance for Pearl City.
"I don't think we're playing to our capabilities yet," Ishigo said. "I'm still not happy with the performance today. The laziness at practice always shows up in the games and today I hope our kids realized they can't practice the way they do.
"I know we can play better. I'm not sure what we're capable of."
Teixeira Vickery was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct in fifth inning and will not be available to play today.
At Kailua H.S.
Davin Nakasone and Corey Giammalvo. Chris Mahelona, Michael Kealoha (5) and Ho'o Obed. W -- Kealoha. L -- Nakasone.
Pearl City (7-4-1) 030 100 41 -- 9 13 3 Kailua (10-1) 060 002 02 -- 10 6 2 Leading hitters -- PC: Rex Yamaguchi 2-run single; Giammalvo RBI. Kail: Kealoha 2-run single; Cody Teixeira Vickery 2-run HR; Jordan Montgomery GW single; Bronson Ho RBI; Keahi Goo RBI.
Aiea 1, Mililani 0: Lance Powell had a pinch-hit, two-out single with the bases loaded to score the winning run. Na Alii's Blake Lamug struck out seven and walked none in a complete game.At Aiea
Chaz Miyashiro, Dane Mizusawa (5) and Troy Flores; Blake Lamug and Aaron Asher. W -- Lamug. L -- Mizusawa.
Mililani (7-5) 000 000 0 -- 0 5 0 Aiea (11-0) 000 001 0 -- 1 5 0 Leading hitters -- Mililani: Troy Collado 2-3. Aiea: Jonny Sakurai 3b.
Waianae 10, Kalani 0: The Seasiders' Chevy Teves shut out the Falcons on two hits, striking out four and walking one. Keoni Taaca hit a three-run homer in the third inning.At Waianae
Shannon Chung, Asher Tamanaha (3), Marcus Fujita (4) and Reid Pamatigan; Chevy Teves and Darryl Ohelo. W -- Teves. L -- Chung.
Kalani (8-4) 000 000 -- 0 2 3 Waianae (9-2) 004 303 -- 10 11 0 Leading hitters -- Waianae: Keoni Taaca 2-2, 3-run HR; Teves 2-4; Dillon Guzman 3-4.
Roosevelt 7, Kalaheo 6: Kaimi Mead struck out 13 for the Rough Riders, but needed a run in the seventh to fend off the Mustangs' rally.Kalaheo scored two runs in the top of the seventh to tie the score.
Roosevelt's Brandon Morimoto led off the bottom of the frame with a single. Pinch runner Ranson Tamai took second on a ground ball by Ricky Eusebio and third on a wild pitch. After Daniel Taniguchi walked, Kevin Fujii hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Tamai with the winning run.
At Stevenson Intermediate
Scott Galusha, Kurt Okamura (4) and Jacob Myking; Kaimi Mead and Kevin Fujii. W -- Mead. L -- Okamura.
Kalaheo (6-6) 030 001 2 -- 6 5 3 Roosevelt (8-3) 000 510 1 -- 7 6 1 Leading hitters -- Kalaheo: Ransen Kaanoi 2-3, 2 RBIs. Roosevelt: Ivan Fujii 2-4, 2 RBIs; Brandon Morimoto 2-4, 2b; Ricky Eusebio 2 RBIs.
