[ BASEBALL ]
Movers defeat West Oahu
All-StarsNobriga helps the Movers overcome
two errors and a two-run deficit
for the win
The Hawaii Island Movers produced their second consecutive one-run victory to remain undefeated in the young summer baseball season by squeaking by the West Oahu All-Stars 6-5 last night at Murakami Stadium.
The winning run had a touch of international flavor, something found throughout the baseball world these days.
With the score tied at 5-5 in the seventh, Molokai product Ikaika Lester, who played for Lewis-Clark State this year, smacked a two-out double down the left-field line. Luis Avila, who is from Venezuela and played for Eastern Oklahoma State, drove a one-strike pitch to deep left-center field for a run-scoring triple.
Marc Nobriga, a Saint Louis graduate who will enroll at Hartnell College in Salinas, Calif., this fall, took over for Hawaii starter Isaac Kamai and blanked West Oahu over the final five innings.
Nobriga allowed three hits, walked one and struck out 10 while mixing a fastball with his curve and slider.
"My slider was real good today. That was my out pitch," Nobriga said.
The Movers (2-0) turned a pair of triples into three runs in the bottom of the second inning.
Lester drew a leadoff walk from Tristan Bailey, a right-hander from Campbell. UH recruit Steve Bralver singled to left. Ivan Fujii, who tried out for the Rainbows last fall but settled for student manager/bullpen catcher, blooped a ball down the right-field line. Right-fielder Allan Holt (Waianae) missed the shoestring-catch attempt, the ball rolled to the wall and Fujii had a standup, two-run triple.
Daniel Miramontes (UC Irvine) lined Bailey's next pitch to the gap in left-center for a run-scoring triple.
West Oahu tied the score in the top of the third with the help of two errant throws by IM infielders.
Dillon Guzman (Waianae) was safe on a throwing error by IM shortstop Chad Itokazu (New Mexico) and stole second. On Ian Pantorilla's (Campbell) bouncer back to the mound, Guzman was caught off second, but Kamai's throw was late and both runners were safe.
Mike Kealoha (Kailua) singled to right, scoring Guzman. Gavin Takakura (Maui) walked, loading the bases. On Edwin Apostol's (Saint Louis) grounder to short, the Movers got the forceout at second, but second baseman Kyle Smith (San Diego H.S.) threw the ball into the Movers' dugout, allowing two runners to score.
West Oahu took a 5-3 lead in the fourth inning that started with TJ Meyer's (Kalaheo) double to right-center field. He stole third and beat the throw home on Sonny Harbottle's (Kalaheo) high bouncer back to the mound. Harbottle stole second and came all the way home on a wild pitch.
The Movers came right back to tie the score when Bralver and Mark Veneri (UH-Hilo, Punahou) singled to start the bottom of the inning. They moved up a base on Fujii's sacrifice bunt and scored on Miramontes' two-out single to right.
"We were a little sloppy defensively in the first part, but Nobriga settled the game down for us," said IM coach Richard Olsen. "We just want to get all these players playing time and still keep the winning attitude."
West Oahu 003 200 000 -- 5 6 0 Island Movers 030 200 10x -- 6 12 3 Tristan Bailey, James Bannister (6), Tyler Inouye (8) and Ian Pantorilla; Isaac Kamai, Marc Nobriga (5) and Aaron Markel. W--Nobriga (1-0). L--Bannister (0-1).
Leading hitters--WO: Mike Kealoha, 3-3, 3b; TJ Meyer, 2b; Sonny Harbottle, 2-4. IM: Daniel Miramontes, 4-4, 3b, 3 RBIs; Steve Bralver, 2-3; Ivan Fujii, 3b, 2 RBIs; Mark Veneri, 2-4; Ikaika Lester, 2b; Luis Avila, 3b.