Kauai's Sam Dias was congratulated by teammates after scoring a run in the third inning against Pearl City yesterday.
Yamasaki puts cap
on Pearl City’s winThe junior drills a 340-foot
two-run homer to make
the final score 6-3
Thomas Yamasaki couldn't contain his smile last night and didn't want to.
The Pearl City junior unloaded a 340-foot, two-run home run over Les Murakami Stadium's left-field wall in the eighth inning of a 6-3 victory over Kauai in the first round of the Wally Yonamine Foundation State Baseball Championships.
"I was just reacting to the pitch," said the elated Yamasaki, who has been hot lately after a slow start to the season. "See ball, hit ball. That's what my coaches tell me to do."
The homer came after Corey Giammalvo's single scored pinch runner Ricky Mendiola with the winning run. Mendiola collided with Red Raiders catcher Daryl Higashi as the throw from right fielder Garren Itamura came in a second late.
"It took too long (for the throw)," Kauai coach Hank Ibia said. "He should have been dead out."
Ibia was far from satisfied with the extra-inning loss.
"We didn't come over here to be happy," he said. "We came over here to win the whole thing."
Pearl City's Michael Higa tried in vain to make a catch in the first inning against Kauai yesterday at Les Murakami Stadium.
Pearl City (11-4) meets Big Isle champion Waiakea (14-0) in an 11:30 a.m. quarterfinal today, while the Red Raiders (9-4) play Hilo tomorrow at 9 a.m. in a consolation-bracket game.The Chargers' three-run eighth-inning rally also ruined the season's debut of Kauai pitcher Alec Reichle, who threw five innings of relief. Reichle, a Star-Bulletin first-team All-State pick a year ago, was hurt in a serious auto accident before the team's first game.
"That was our highlight of the night, having Alec back in action," said Kauai third baseman Kirby Yates, who went 3-for-4 with two triples and drove in all three of his team's runs. "We're sorry it ended like that for him."
Yates is the brother of pitcher Tyler Yates, who started the season in the New York Mets' five-man rotation.
Reichle, who came in for starter Shannon Oketani with one on in the fourth, retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced without giving up a hit before Pearl City figured him out with three hits in the eighth. He finished with seven strikeouts.
Chargers lefty Anthony Ganigan struggled, giving up nine hits and walking four in seven innings. He left the game with a 6-3 lead before Blake Kaneshiro finished up the bottom of the eighth without allowing a hit.
"We'll look to see how far we can go and we'll push ourselves," Ganigan said. "They were a good-hitting team. That guy Kirby Yates was an awesome hitter."
Pearl City's Ricky Mendiola stole second base ahead of the tag by Kauai's Jake Oketani in the first inning yesterday.
Pearl City went up 2-0 in the first on Giammalvo's two-run single, but Kauai tied it 2-all in the bottom half on Yates' two-run triple to left-center.Sam Dias hit a bloop double in the third and scored on Yates' single to give the Red Raiders a 3-2 edge in the third.
But in the fourth, the Chargers came back to tie it 3-all as Yamasaki doubled and pinch runner Kelsey Poentis eventually scored on a wild pitch.
The Red Raiders stranded 11 on the basepaths, including men as far as second base three times and runners as far as third four times.
"After that first inning, Anthony kept us in it and that was big," said Chargers coach Mel Seki, whose team didn't make any errors. "And Thomas (Yamasaki) has been really coming on for us."
Pearl City (11-4) 200 100 03 -- 6 9 0 Kauai (9-4) 201 000 00 -- 3 9 2
Anthony Ganigan, Blake Kaneshiro (8) and Corey Giammalvo; Shannon Oketani, Alec Reichle (4) and Daryl Higashi. W--Ganigan. L--Reichle.
Leading hitters--PC: Michael Higa 2-4, Giammalvo 2-4, 3 RBIs; Thomas Yamasaki 2-4, 2b, HR, 2 RBIs. Kauai: Sam Dias 2-4, 2b; Kirby Yates 3-4, 2 3bs, 3 RBIs.
Roosevelt 4, Hilo 3: Trailing 3-1, the Rough Riders (11-4) rallied for three runs on three Vikings errors in the sixth inning to advance to today's 7 p.m. quarterfinal against ILH champion Mid-Pacific (16-5).
Hilo pitcher Jesse Yoshida was breezing along with a two-hitter until Roosevelt's Ricky Eusebio hit a two-out single in the sixth. After two walks, Yoshida was lifted for reliever Milton Kenui, who had a 3-2 count on Daniel Taniguchi, but fell victim when three runners raced home on the three miscues.
The first error was a comebacker to the mound that Kenui couldn't field.
"I felt real confident that pitch would be the last strike," said Kenui, who added that he threw a cutter right where he wanted it. "I kind of hesitated. This is my first time on this field, but this is a good field. It's hard luck, that's all."
Pinch hitter Keenan Loo scored the winning run for the Rough Riders when an infield throw trying to nab Brent Maeda (the tying run) at the plate went wide.
"When I saw the catcher start to go to the side, I knew I could score," Loo said. "I was running my hardest. It was a crucial win. Even when we were down, I knew we could come through."
It was the third year in a row Roosevelt knocked Hilo (12-3) out of the tournament.
The game was also a rematch of the 1985 final when the Eugene Capellas-coached Vikings defeated the Rough Riders 11-10 for the title. Neither team has been back to the championship game since.
Hilo (12-3) 002 100 0 -- 3 7 6 Roosevelt (11-4) 001 003 x -- 4 3 3
Jesse Yoshida, Milton Kenui (6) and Keola Holt-Mizuguchi; Justin Goo and Kevin Fujii. W--Goo. L--Yoshida.
Leading hitters--Hilo: Matthew Haasenritter 3-4, William Nau RBI. Roos: Joshua Danz 2b, Kevin Fujii RBI.
Leilehua 13, Honokaa 0, 5 inn.: Melvin Ferreira went 2-for-2 with a double and three RBI as the Mules (12-2) secured a rematch against OIA West rival and No. 1 seed Aiea (12-1) in today's 4:30 p.m. quarterfinal.
John Olley also had a big day for Leilehua with two hits, including a double, and two RBI in the game that ended after five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule.
Spencer Omalza and Joshua Fetters combined on a three-hitter. Omalza got plenty of run support when the Mules erupted for eight second-inning runs to take a 9-0 lead.
The Dragons made five errors in the game and dropped to 10-6.
In their first game of the season, Leilehua gave Na Alii (today's opponent) their only defeat, 6-5.
Honokaa (10-6) 000 00 -- 0 3 5 Leilehua (12-2) 180 4x -- 13 9 3
Mana Bailado and Gary Yu; Spencer Omalza, Joshua Fetters (4) and Jesse Matsuura. W--Fetters. L--Bailado.
Leading hitters--Leil: Andrew Ontai RBI; Omalza RBI; Matsuura 2 RBIs, 2 stolen bases; John Olley 2-3, 2b, 2 RBIs; Ross Masuhara RBI; Melvin Ferreira 2-2, 2b, 3 RBIs; Corey Hong RBI.BACK TO TOP |
HHSAA baseball
At Les Murakami Stadium.
YESTERDAY
Game 1: Leilehua 13, Honokaa 0
2: Roosevelt 4, Hilo 3
3: Pearl City 6, Kauai 3, 8 innings
4: Punahou 3, Kaiser 1
TODAY
5: Honokaa vs. Kaiser, 9 a.m.
6: Pearl City vs. Waiakea, 11:30 a.m.
7: Punahou vs. Baldwin, 2 p.m.
8: Leilehua vs. Aiea, 4:30 p.m.
9: Roosevelt vs. Mid-Pacific, 7 p.m.
TOMORROW
10: Kauai & Hilo, 9 a.m.
11: Losers 8 & 7, 11:30 a.m.
12: Losers 6 & 9, 2 p.m.
13: Winners 6 & 9, 4:30 p.m.
14: Winners 8 & 7, 7 p.m.
HHSAA girls basketball
At Stan Sheriff Center
DIVISION I
TODAY
Game 1: Honokaa vs. Lahainaluna, 2:45 p.m.
2: Kauai vs. Kalaheo, 4:30 p.m.
3: Iolani vs. Kaiser, 6:15 p.m.
4: McKinley vs. Kamehameha, 8 p.m.
TOMORROW
5: Losers 4 & 3, 11:15 p.m.
6: Losers 1 & 2, 1 p.m.
7: Kahuku vs. winner 1, 2:45 p.m.
8: Baldwin vs. winner 3, 4:30 p.m.
9: Konawaena vs. winner 4, 6:15 p.m.
10: Punahou vs. winner 2, 8 p.m.
DIVISION II
FRIDAY
Game 1: St. Andrew's vs. St. Joseph, 2:45 p.m.
2: Roosevelt vs. St. Anthony, 4:30 p.m.
