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CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM Punahou starter Carl Graves retired seven straight batters during yesterday's victory over Waiakea.

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Buffs hold off Waiakea

Punahou survives a scare from
Waiakea to advance to the state
championship game

For the 11th consecutive year, the Interscholastic League of Honolulu will have at least one team in the state baseball championship game.

Reyn Kubota scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning as top-seeded Punahou survived a scare from Waiakea to defeat the Warriors 3-2 yesterday in the semifinals of the HHSAA/Wally Yonamine Foundation Baseball State Championship at Les Murakami Stadium.

Jared Pate, who came on in relief of Carl Graves with one out in the seventh, picked up the win, but it was Graves who made the difference for the Buffanblu. The junior gave up just three hits and two runs, both unearned, in six-plus innings.

"They blooped a couple hits, but I was feeling great out there," Graves said. "I felt like I could have thrown all night if I had to."

Graves retired seven straight batters before entering the seventh, but gave up a leadoff single to Jensen Sato. After a sacrifice bunt by Kekoa Yockman, Punahou coach Eric Kadooka turned to Pate to finish the inning.

"Carl pitched great and gave us many chances to win," Kadooka said. "I thought we could get an advantage with Jared, so we brought him in."

The move worked to perfection, as Pate recorded a groundout before striking out pinch hitter Garrett Amaral to end the threat.

"I really wanted to finish the game, but I knew (Jared) would do the job," Graves said. "It's good we had him available to shut the door."

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CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM Punahou's Kasey Ko was caught in a rundown between third base and home plate after a suicide squeeze bunt yesterday. Waiakea third baseman Dustin Kaeo, right, threw the ball to pitcher Daren Takasaki for the out.

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Pate started the Buffanblu's first tournament game against Kauai the day before, but after throwing only 23 pitches, was available to start last night's game. Kadooka decided to stick with the rotation he set prior to the tournament and went with Graves.

"Coach thought about (starting Pate), but as soon as the (Kauai) game ended, he told me it'd be me," Graves said. "I just wanted to sleep quickly last night so I could get out here and pitch."

The Buffanblu got on the board early with a run in the first as Kasey Ko smacked a two-out double to left that scored Landon Nakata. But the Warriors would come back to take the lead in the third.

With runners on first and second and one out, Kevin Sagawa hit what looked to be a double-play ball to second, but the second baseman's throw to the shortstop covering second went into left field, allowing one runner to score. They would then add an RBI groundout to take the lead.

"We knew we would need to get some breaks and we got one there," Warriors coach Tommy Correa said.

As quickly as they took the lead however, the Warriors would lose it right away, as the Buffanblu tied the game in the bottom of the inning on an error by the center fielder that allowed Matt Solomana to score the tying run. But with a chance to take the lead, Ko got caught in a rundown between third and home on a missed suicide squeeze attempt to keep the game tied at 2.

"It may have looked like we were struggling out there, but they were battling us all the way," Kadooka said. "This was a classic high school battle between two great teams and they took us to the limit."

But in the end, it was the Buffanblu who advanced to their 13th state championship game, as Kubota led off the bottom of the seventh with a double and eventually scored on a fly ball from Bucky Aona that was misplayed in left.

"Coach told me that the guy in left had a strong arm, but when I saw the ball fall, I just ran as fast as I could," Kubota said.

Waiakea, which finished third in last year's state tournament, will look to do the same tonight, while the Buffanblu will go for their eighth state baseball championship, which would tie them with Iolani for the most by one school.

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At Les Murakami Stadium

Waiakea (13-3)	002	000	0	--	2	3	1
Punahou (20-2-1)	101	000	1	--	3	11	1

Daren Takasaki and Raymond Velez. Carl Graves, Jared Pate (7) and Michael Chock. W--Pate. L--Takasaki,
Leading hitters--Pun: Bucky Aona 3-4, RBI; Kasey Ko 3-3, 2b, RBI; Reyn Kubota 2-2, 2b, run.