Mules come back
to top Seariders 11-9Leilehua scores seven runs in
the sixth inning to defeat
Waianae in an OIA game
Leilehua and Waianae traded bad innings yesterday, but the Seariders got the worst of it when the Mules erupted for seven sixth-inning runs on the way to an improbable 11-9 Oahu Interscholastic Association baseball comeback victory.
Things looked bleak for Leilehua in the first inning when Waianae sent 13 batters to the plate and scored eight runs for what appeared to be a safe 8-1 lead.
But the Mules chipped away and rode the pitching of reliever Andrew Ontai, who went 6 2/3 innings and gave up just one run to earn the victory. He replaced starter Spencer Omalza, who walked three and hit two of the 10 batters he faced in his 1/3 of an inning.
"With an 8-1 deficit, Andrew understood our situation," said Leilehua coach Garett Yukumoto, whose team improved to 3-0 in the OIA West and dropped the Seariders to 2-1. "He knew he had to throw strikes, stay ahead in the count and have some low-pitch innings. He did his job and kept them down the rest of the way."
Despite the off day on the mound, Omalza did his part, too, by smashing two-run doubles in the fifth and sixth innings.
"I couldn't find the strike zone," Omalza said. "I was overthrowing and unable to find my spots. But coach always tells us to never give up and keep going and play like the score is 0-0. We've just got to keep believing and never think that the teams in the other dugout are better than us."
Until the sixth, it looked like Waianae starter Dillon Guzman would hold off the Mules.
"I could have done a better job pitching, so (the Leilehua comeback) was kind of my fault," Guzman said. "I thought I was getting the ball over the plate, but I wasn't getting the calls. The loss takes me down a little, but my teammates won't get down. We've got a good team that I think can make the playoffs and we might see them (the Mules) again."
Guzman gave up five of Leilehua's seven runs in the sixth, but reliever Darius Fuller was strapped with the loss when he allowed the tying and go-ahead runs on Jesse Matsuura's single to right. Seariders center fielder Allen Holt made a diving catch of John Olley's blast in left center to halt further damage.
Olley led off the decisive inning with a double, and Joshua Fetters helped out with a sacrifice fly, while Omalza drilled his second two-run two-bagger as the Mules took a 10-9 lead.
"We didn't really let them come back," Waianae coach Kekoa Kaluhiokalani said. "They earned it. It shows you the character this Leilehua team has. They wanted it more than us. It's still early in the season. We've still got a lot of confidence and should be right there competing for a playoff spot."
Royden Pang keyed Waianae's eight-run first inning with a two-run double, while Charleson Low and Clayton Uyechi added RBI base hits.
Waianae's last good offensive chance failed in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Holt delivered a double to put runners on second and third, but Ontai pitched out of the jam.
After Kelsey Yoshikami's double drove in Leilehua's 11th run in the top of the seventh, Ontai struck out the side in the bottom half of the inning to wrap it up.
"Our boys never gave up," Yukumoto said. "That's the main thing -- dealing with adversity. We're off to a great start, but baseball is a funny game. The ball can bounce the wrong way and we could end up 3-7. Today was an example of 15 guys staying together and the outcome happened to be good. It's not always going to happen that way."
At Waianae H.S. field
Leilehua (3-0) 100 027 1 -- 11 11 3 Waianae (2-1) 800 100 0 -- 9 9 3
Spencer Omalza, Andrew Ontai (1) and Jesse Matsuura; Dillon Guzman, Darius Fuller (6) and Mike Ferreira. W--Ontai. L--Fuller.
Leading hitters--Lei: Ontai 2-3, 2b, RBI; Omalza 2-4, 2 2bs, 4 RBIs; Matsuura 2-4, 2 RBIs, game-winning hit; John Olley 2b; Kelsey Yoshikami 2-2, 2b; Joshua Fetters RBI. Waian: Charleson Low 2-4, 3b, RBI; Royden Pang 1-2, 3b, 2 RBIs; Sonny Dudoit RBI; Guzman RBI; Clayton Uyechi RBI; Ransen Sylva RBI; Allen Holt RBI.
Aiea 14, Waipahu 0: Na Alii's Blake Lamug pitched a no-hitter, striking out six and walking one, facing just two batters over the minimum to keep Waipahu winless on the season.
Lance Powell had a triple in Na Alii's seven-run first inning.
At Aiea Recreation field
Glen Santa Maria, Jaren Rios (1), Jordan Mikami (2) and Jake Tabieros. Blake Lamug and Aaron Asher. W--Lamug. L--Santa Maria.
Waipahu (0-3) 000 00 -- 0 0 1 Aiea (2-1) 711 5x -- 14 16 1
Leading hitters--Aiea: Blaze Moleta 2-3, 2 RBIs; Bryson Tajiri 2-4; Kepa Wong 3-3, 2b, 2 RBIs; Lance Powell 3-4, 2b, 3b, 2 RBIs; Asher HR; C.J. Tausaga 2b, RBI; Jordan Shibata 2-3, RBI.
Kapolei 14, Waialua 1: Shanon Arnold struck out eight and walked two, allowing just one run on seven hits as the Hurricanes beat the Bulldogs.
Bryan Padayao's 2-run triple in the bottom of the fourth blew open a 4-1 game and made way for 15 batters to score 10 runs. Padayao finished the game 3-for-4, including his triple, scored three runs and drove in five.
At Kapolei H.S. field
Waialua (0-3) 100 00 -- 1 7 3 Kapolei (2-1) 301 (10)x -- 14 12 0
Shawyn Peiler, Derrick Nacario (4) and Justin Manglallan. Shanon Arnold, Nick Cavaretta (5) and Drake Kula. W--Arnold. L--Peiler.
Leading hitters--Wail: Justin Barit 2-3. Kapo: Kula 3-4, 3-runs, 2 SB, 3 RBIs; Bryan Padayao 3-4, 3b, 3-runs, 5 RBIs; Aaron Santiago 2-4, 2 RBIs; Charles Recamara 2b.
Campbell 2, Mililani 1: James Bannister's two-run single in the top of the fifth inning was just enough run support for Ian Pantorilla and Tristan Bailey, who combined on a two-hitter to give Campbell its first win of the season.
The Trojans manged just one run on a Campbell error.
At Mililani H.S. field
Campbell (1-2) 000 020 0 -- 2 7 2 Mililani (1-2) 000 100 0 -- 1 2 2
Ian Pantorilla, Tristan Bailey (5) and Kendall Hodson. Pierce Manglallan, Matt Arakaki (5), Chaz Miyashiro (5), and Kamaka Crabbe. W--Pantorilla. L--Manglallan. S--Bailey.
Leading hitters--Cam: Brandon Tanigawa 2-3; James Bannister 2 RBIs.
oia east
Kalaheo 4, Castle 1: Brandon Uehara's two-run single capped a four-run first inning and Scott Galusha came on to relieve Sonny Harbottle and shut out Castle for the final six innings as the Mustangs picked up their first win of the season.
At Kailua Recreation field
Castle (0-2) 100 000 0 -- 1 3 2 Kalaheo (1-2) 400 000 0 -- 4 5 1
Ah New and Mohika. Sonny Harbottle, Scott Galusha (1), and Jacob Myking. W--Galusha. L--Ah New.
Leading hitters--Kalh: Brandon Uehara 2-3, 2 RBIs.
Farrington 10, Kaimuki 4: Matt Bell's home run to lead off the bottom of the first inning ignited the Governors' offense as Farrington won its first game of the season.
Orry Callazo added a 3-run double in the second inning and Alex Mendoza added three hits for Farrington. Janson Hew went 4-for-4 with two runs to lead the Bulldogs.
At Joey DeSa field
Kaimuki (1-2) 000 211 0 -- 4 9 2 Farrington (1-2) 142 111 X -- 10 14 2
J.P. Soon and Janson Hew. Brian Cabral, Alison Tolentino (6), and Matt Bell. W--Cabral. L--Soon.
Leading hitters--Kaim: Soon 2-4, 2b; Hew, 4-4, 2-runs. Far: Bell 3-3, 2b, HR; Orry Collazo 2-4, 2 2bs, 3 RBIs; Alex Mendoza 3-4, 2b; Anthony Gabrillo 2b; Jay Ar Mariano 2-3, 2b.
Kalani 22, McKinley 3: The Falcons' Marcus Fujita's RBI double in the top of the third began a four-run rally and secured the win over the Tigers.
Kalani's Darren Takemoto faced 27 batters, striking out three, while only walking two and giving up three runs on seven hits.
At McKinley H.S. field
Kalani (2-0) 214 040 (11) -- 22 19 1 McKinley (0-2) 020 010 0 -- 3 7 3
Darren Takemoto, Randy Kitagawa (7) and Preston Pires. Jarren Hirasaki, Kalen Kuniyuki (3), Devin Okinaga (7) and Andy Mitani. W--Takemoto. L--Hirasaki.
Leading hitters--Kaln: Trevor Teraoka 5-5, 2b, 2 RBIs; Pires 3-6, 3 RBIs; Kitagawa 4-5, 2 2bs, HR; 4 RBIs; Marcus Fujita 3-6, 2 2bs, 5 RBIs; Takemoto 2-4. McK: Mitani 2-3, 2b, 2 RBIs; Hirasaki 2b; Micah Yonemura 2b.
Moanalua 9, Kahuku 1: Chance Daskauskas went the distance for Moanalua, giving up just one run while scattering four hits, and Dayne Dela Cruz went 3-for-3 as the Surfriders remained undefeated at 3-0 by beating Kahuku.
Andrew Blomberg and Glenn Taijeron added triples for Moanalua, while Bronson Ponciano went 2-for-2 to lead the Red Raiders.
At Kahuku H.S. field
Moanalua (3-0) 030 402 0 -- 9 10 1 Kahuku (0-2) 001 000 0 -- 1 4 5
Chance Daskauskas and Donovan Souza. Melvin Silva, Kurtney Silva (6), Makamae Desota (7), and Jason Aumua. W--Daskauskas. L--M. Silva.
Leading hitters--Moan: Andrew Blomberg 3b; Glenn Taijeron 3b; Dayne Dela Cruz 3-3; Trevor Bell, 2b. Kah: Kurtney Silva 2b; Bronson Ponciano-Ahue 2-2.
Kaiser 7, Roosevelt 4: With a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, Trent Hamada struck out the side after loading the bases to help the Cougars defeat Roosevelt.
Myles Nakama added an RBI triple in the top of the seventh to help extend Kaiser's lead.
At Stevenson Intermediate
Kaiser (3-0) 005 000 2 -- 7 8 2 Roosevelt (1-2) 020 200 0 -- 4 7 2
Reyn Kimura, Trent Hamda (5), and Jared Maeda. David Chow, Kalani Yoshimura (5), and Kevin Fujii. W--Kimura. L--Chow.
Leading hitters--Kais: Coby Ho, 2b, 2 rbi; Myles Nakama, 2-4, 3b, 2 rbi; Jeffrey Peters, 2b. Roos: Ricki Nakagawa, 2-4, 2 rbi, 2 runs; Jared Furtado, 2-4, 2 rbi's; Derek Shigano, 2-4; Fujii 1-2, 2 runs.
Radford 6, Nanakuli 4: No details reported.