[ HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL ]
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kamehameha's Andrew Phillips dove back to first base safely as Kailua first baseman Ryan Rodrigues awaited the pick-off throw yesterday in the state final.
Kamehameha
wins state titleJP Kennedy bails out
Isaac Kamai with a stellar defensive
play in the final against Kailua
After being turned away in the state baseball championship game twice in the previous three years, Kamehameha finally had fortune smile on them last night.
The Warriors won their first state title since 1988 with a 4-2 victory over Kailua in the title game of the Wally Yonamine Foundation State Baseball Championship at Iron Maehara Stadium.
Kamehameha coach Vern Ramie had been to the state final three times before finally winning a championship last night.
"We've come close so many times and we couldn't reach the brass ring," Ramie said. "It's nice to get it and hold on to it."
Kamehameha pitcher Isaac Kamai allowed only two hits in a complete-game performance and got the support he needed in the top of the first when the Warriors struck for three runs.
Kailua, which won its previous five games in its final at-bat, loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with one out. But Kamehameha first baseman JP Kennedy snagged Shaun Sasaki's line drive and stepped on first for a game-ending double play.
"I was waiting for that," Kennedy said. "I wanted him to hit it to me and when I got it I knew exactly what to do with it."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kamehameha's Isaac kamai went the distance on the mound yesterday to lead the Warriors to a win over Kailua in the state high school championship game.
The teams entered the game with seven state championships between them, but had never faced each other in a title game.
Kamai, who closed out the Warriors' previous two wins in the tournament, held Kailua hitless over the first four innings and finished with six strikeouts
"Isaac's been our go-to guy all year," Ramie said. "When we needed to get the big outs he's the guy we brought in late in the first two games that we played, and he still had the heart and the guts to come out here and pitch a complete game."
Kamehameha was also aided by seven Kailua errors.
Kamehameha took the lead with three runs in the top of the first inning. Keoni Ruth led off the game with a walk. Nick Freitas then hit into an apparent double play, but both runners were ruled safe due to catcher's interference. Kennedy was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Kahe Santos drove in the game's first run with a sacrifice fly to right field. The throw to the plate bounced away from Kailua catcher Sean Medeiros and Freitas came around to score. Andrew Phillips plated Kennedy with a single to left.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Waiakea shortstop Dane Inouye threw to third base while center fielder Cody Urasaki watched yesterday in the state high school baseball tourney third-place game. Inouye's throw was in time to nail an MPI runner trying to advance from second base.
Michael Kealoha, who earned a win against Roosevelt in the quarterfinals, moved from shortstop to the mound in relief of starter Kevin Matsumoto and ended the inning with a force out at second.
The Warriors threatened to extend the lead in the fourth, but the Kailua defense threw out two runners at the plate.
Travis Young was thrown out while trying to score on a grounder to Kailua shortstop Jordan Montgomery and was ejected for running into Medeiros, who had to leave the game with an injury.
Ruth was thrown out trying to score on a double steal to end the inning.
Kailua scored its first run in the bottom of the fourth without the benefit of a hit. Cody Teixeira-Vickery walked, took second on a sacrifice bunt and went to third on a wild pitch. He scored on a grounder by Ryan Rodrigues.
A second Kamehameha players was ejected when Warrior outfielder Nick Freitas bowled over Kailua catcher Ho'o Obed while trying to score on a grounder.
Kamai held Kailua scoreless in the fifth and sixth, but ran into trouble in the seventh when Rodrigues reached base on an error and Montgomery walked. After a strike out, Derek Mailau was awarded first on catcher's interference to load the bases.
Kamai walked Kealoha to score Rodrigues and cut Kamehameha's lead to 4-2. But the rally ended when Sasaki's shot down the first-base line found Kennedy's glove.
"We seem to do that a lot," Ramie said of the late-inning drama. "I guess I shouldn't expect this one to be any different, but it would have been nice to do it a little easier. But give these guys credit, they continued to battle and did the things we need to do to win."
Kamehameha (19-3) 300 010 0 -- 4 5 1 Kailua (14-2) 000 100 1 -- 2 2 7 Isaac Kamai and Baba Merino; Kevin Matsumoto, Michael Kealoha (1), Christopher Mahelona (6) and Sean Medeiros, Hoo Obed. W--Kamai. L--Matsumoto.
Leading hitters--Kamehameha: Keoni Ruth 2-3; Kahe Santos RBI; Merino RBI; Andrew Phillips RBI. Kailua: Kealoha RBI; Ryan Rodrigues RBI.
Third place
Mid-Pacific 3, Waiakea 2Jonathan Hee's ground-rule double in the bottom of the seventh inning scored Troy Hanzawa with the winning run for the Owls.
Waiakea led 2-1 going into the seventh. Jeffrey Mizokawa was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the inning. A sacrifice bunt by Ryan Asato and a single by Hanzawa moved Harrison Kuroda, pinch-running for Mizokawa, to third base.
Kuroda scored the tying run on Ryan Leong's grounder to shortstop. Hee then hit a drive to left field that bounced over the fence to score Hanzawa from second base.
Waiakea's Shannon Camero went 3-for-4 at the plate and finished 7-for-10 in the tournament with four doubles.
Waiakea (13-2) 000 011 0 -- 2 9 1 Mid-Pacific (15-9-1) 010 000 2 -- 3 6 1 Kulea Bondallian, Justin Kekaualua (4), Ryan Pagan (6) and Shannon Camero; Conan Young, Jayson Kramer (7) and Jeffrey Mizokawa. W--Kramer. L--Pagan.
Leading hitters--Waiakea: Camero 3-4, 2 2bs; Justin Pascual 2-3, 2b. MPI: Jonathan Hee 2-3, 2b, RBI; Marc Inamasu 2-3.
Fifth place
Aiea 6, Roosevelt 5Blake Lamug's two-run double in the fifth inning carried Na Alii to a comeback win over the Rough Riders.
Roosevelt's Cameron Kimura hit a two-run homer to left field in the bottom of the first inning as the Rough Riders took a 4-1 lead. Aiea cut the Roosevelt lead to 5-4 in the third and went in front for good on Lamug's double.
The game was called after six innings due to the two-hour time limit.
Aiea (15-2) 112 020 -- 6 8 2 Roosevelt (11-6) 410 000 -- 5 11 1 Herbert Chung, Jordan Shibata (4) and Justin Nii; Ivan Fujii, Robb Oshima (3), Kalani Yoshimura (4), Jonathan Alarcio (6) and Kevin Fujii, Ricky Nakagawa (3). W--Shibata. L--Yoshimura.
Leading hitters--Aiea: Chung 2-2, 2b, RBI; Taylor Watanabe 2b; Nii 2-3; Blake Lamug 2b, 2 RBIs. Roosevelt: Cameron Kimura 2-4, HR, 2 RBIs; K. Fujii 2-2, 2b; Grant Hayami 2-2, 2b; Ransen Tamai 2-3.
Consolation
Maui 6, Hilo 5Joey Castro's single to right field to score Lyle Fujimori in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Sabers the consolation championship.
Hilo scored four runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game. But Castro's two-out single gave Maui the win just before the time limit.
Hilo (10-5) 000 100 4 -- 5 9 2 Maui (19-5) 000 410 1 -- 6 10 4 Jeremy Kaaukai, Dustin Otis (3), Kaimana Aiwohi (4), Jesse Yoshida (5), Ronnie Carvalho (6) and Shannon Ugalde; Jared Davis, Jon Cayon (4), Gavin Takakura (6), Andrew Nakihei (7), Takakura (7) and Vance Otake, Jhared Racadio (3). W--Takakura. L--Carvalho.
Leading hitters--Hilo: Ugalde 2-2. Maui: Joey Castro 2-3, 2 RBIs; Joseph Kala 2b; Jhared Racadio 2b.
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