Wild, wild East

Controversial call goes Kalani's way in key victory over Kaiser

The Oahu Interscholastic Association baseball season has reached the midway point, and yesterday marked the beginning of what should be a wild finish in the Eastern Division.

Six teams entered yesterday's full slate of games with one loss or fewer, including both Kaiser and Kalani, who hooked up in a close battle at Kahala Community Park.

The outcome was decided by a controversial ruling by the umpires.

With the score tied 2-2 with two outs in the bottom of the fifth and Kalani's Ken Kamoto on first base, Shamus Kumashiro took a pitch that hit near the knob of the bat and bounced toward third base. Kumashiro stopped as if he the pitch hit him, but the umpire didn't acknowledge the batter was hit and Zachary Wong scooped up the ball and threw him out at first. The home-plate umpire ruled that the ball hit the bat and not Kumashiro and called him out.

As the Cougars ran into the dugout to get ready to bat, Kalani coach Shannon Hirai argued with both umpires that Kumashiro was hit by the pitch, and after a minute of deliberation, they overturned the call, sending Kaiser coach Peter Ho into a frenzy.

Eventually the Cougars retook the field and the Falcons had runners on first and second for Kalani starting pitcher Dillon Matsuda, who punched a 2-2 pitch just over the second baseman's glove into center field for an RBI single to scoring Kamoto with what turned out to be the winning run in the Falcons' 3-2 victory.

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The 12 seniors on Kalani's baseball team had one final opportunity to beat their eastside rivals from Kaiser, but it took some clutch hitting and pitching from sophomore Dillon Matsuda to get the job done.

Matsuda gave up just one earned run in five innings, and broke up a 2-2 tie with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning after a disputed call by the umpires as the Falcons earned a tough 3-2 victory over Kaiser yesterday at Kahala Community Park.

Micah Takahashi struck out four Cougars in the last two innings to pick up the save and finally give Kalani's senior class that elusive win they were seeking against a feisty Cougars squad.

"Three years in a row we've had heartbreaking losses to them, so this was big for us," Takahashi said.

Takahashi is one of Kalani's aces on the pitching staff, but was scratched from his scheduled start against Roosevelt in the Falcons' Oahu Interscholastic League opener due to stiffness in his back and hasn't started a game this season. This was his third appearance out of the bullpen however, and the only base runner he allowed was on an error.

"He's been battling that back, but he was sharp out there today," Kalani coach Shannon Hirai said. "We struggled to score runs, so once we got the lead, I went to him."

Both teams entered yesterday's game tied for fourth in the Eastern Division at 4-1. Matsuda earned the start for Kalani and struggled with his command early, walking four batters in the first inning as the Cougars took a 1-0 lead.

"I was a little nervous, but the seniors on our team really calmed me down and told me to shake it off," Matsuda said.

The Falcons offense helped out by scoring two runs off Kaiser starter Zachary Wong in the bottom of the inning on RBI singles by Jason Lee and Shamus Kumashiro. The Cougars answered with an unearned run in the second inning, and the score remained tied at 2 until a wild sequence of events changed the game in the bottom of the fifth.

With two outs and Kalani's Ken Kamoto on first base, Kumashiro took an 0-1 pitch from Wong that hit near the knob of the bat and bounced toward third base. Kumashiro stopped as if he was hit by the pitch, but the umpire didn't acknowledge the batter had been hit, allowing Wong to throw him out at first base. The home-plate umpire ruled that the ball hit the bat and not Kumashiro and signaled him out, seemingly ending the inning.

But as the Cougars left the field to get ready to hit, Hirai and the umpires conferred out near second base and the call was eventually overturned, putting Kamoto on second and Kumashiro on first with Matsuda ready to bat and two outs.

"We just went out to complain that he got hit and they gave us the call," Hirai said.

With a second chance to take the lead, Matsuda lunged at a 2-2 offering from Wong and got just enough of the ball to get it past the outstretched arms of Kaiser second baseman Joe Honma, allowing Kamoto to score from second to give the Falcons a one-run lead.

"I was just excited to get back up there and try to help my team out," Matsuda said. "I was a little off balance but was lucky enough to get enough of it to get it past the second baseman."

Kalani's next three games are against teams with a combined record of 15-2-1, including undefeated Kailua.

At Kahala Community Park

Kaiser (4-2)	110	000	0	--	2	4	0
Kalani (5-1)	200	010	x	--	3	5	3

Zachary Wong, Toby Inouye (5) and Bryce Marcouiller. Dillon Matsuda, Micah Takahashi (6) and Jason Lee. W--Matsuda. L--Wong. S--Takahashi.

Leading hitters--Kais: Marcouiller 1-2, 2b; Matt Muranaka 2-3, run. Kaln: Lee 2-3, RBI; Matsuda 2-3, RBI.

Castle 3, Moanalua 0

Lyle Kitagawa hit a monster 3-run shot to center field with two outs in the fifth to propel the Knights over Na Menehune.

Pulama Silva pitched a one-hitter with nine strikeouts. Kekoa Lee struck out eight in the loss.

At Castle H.S. field

Moanalua (4-2)	000	000	0	--	0	1	2
Castle (5-0-1)	000	030	x	--	3	5	1

Kekoa Lee and Chris Liu-Saguid. Pulama Silva and Lyle Kitagawa. W--Silva. L--Lee.

Leading hitters--Cast: Kitagawa 3-run HR.

Roosevelt 28, Farrington 5, 5 inn.

The Rough Riders rode a 19-run first inning to a one-sided win over the Governors.

Bryson Segundo prevented a shutout with a bases-loaded triple in the fifth for Farrington.

At Stevenson Middle School

Farrington (0-6)	000	05	--	5	3	9
Roosevelt (5-0-1)	(19)25	2x	--	28	26	1

Diamond Pedro, Bryson Segundo (4) and Segundo, B. Ganotise (4). Casey Tanabe, Nick Dang (3), Billy Kamau (4), Calvin Sumida (5) and Tyler Nitahara, Sumida (2), Tanabe (5). W--Tanabe. L--Pedro.

Leading hitters--Farr: P. Manigot 2-2, Segundo 3b, 3 RBIs. Roos: Keoni Manago 2-2; Kamau 2-4, 2b, 2 runs; Daren Fujii 4-4, 4 RBIs, 3 runs; Nick Wong 2-2, 2 3b, 4 RBIs, 3 runs; Justin Otaguro 2-4, 2 RBIs, 3 runs; Dang 3 RBIs; Christian Awaya 2-4; Nitahara 2b, 2 RBIs; Sumida 2-3, 3 RBIs; Tanabe 3-5, 2 RBIs, 2 runs.

Kahuku 7, McKinley 6

Tima Papusoa and RJ Van Ness combined to knock in five runs as the Red Raiders held on.

At McKinley H.S. field

Kahuku (2-5)	210	300	1	--	7	11	4
McKinley (1-4)	001	320	0	--	6	12	2

RJ Van Ness, Steven Van Ness (7) and Kaika Sasaoka. Randy Tuley, Raymond Carey (1), Mike Estes (5) and Kelsen Ganeku. W--RJ Van Ness. L--Estes.

Leading hitters--Kah: Sasaoka 2-2; Tima Papusoa 2-4, 3 RBI; S. Van Ness 2-4, 2b; Kamae Jordan 2-2, 2b; RJ Van Ness 2-3, 2 RBI; Kevin Van Ness 2b. McK: Tuley 4-5; Jonathan Ho 2-4; Estes 3-5; Kaimana Balanon 2-3, 2 2b.

Kalaheo 17, Kaimuki 0, 5 inn.

Richard Preza-Haynes smacked a two-run homer during a 10-run fifth inning as the Mustangs routed the Bulldogs.

Kyle Okumura pitched a one-hitter with no walks for Kalaheo, which picked up its first OIA win of the season.

At Kaimuki H.S. field

Kalaheo (1-6)	303	1(10)	--	17	15	1
Kaimuki (0-7)	000	00	--	0	1	6

Kyle Okumura, Donavan Correa (5) and Steven Vega. Masashi Kimura, Ian Delizo (5) and Daren Muramoto. W--Okumura. L--Kumura.

Leading hitters--Kalh: Richard Preza-Haynes 2-3, HR, 3b, 3 runs, 2 RBIs; Alika Ka'anapu 2-4, 3 runs; Okumura 3-4, 3b, 3 runs, 2 RBIs; Vega 2-3, 2b, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Colby Lee 3-4, 2b, 2 runs, 3 RBIs.

OIA West

No. 3 Mililani 7, No. 8 Pearl City 6, 8 inn.

The Trojans loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, and Travis Jones hit a pop fly to center to score Adam Schroeder from third for the win.

At Mililani H.S. field

No. 8 Pearl City (4-2)	200	002	20	--	6	11	2
No. 3 Mililani (7-0)	002	004	01	--	7	12	0

Jason Rasa, Cory Yuh (6), Cody Sugitaya (6) and Carlton Tanabe. Richie Mariano, Kylan Cadiam (6), Dustin Antolin (8) and Kacey Miyasato, Mariano (6). W--Antolin. L--Sugitaya.

Leading hitters--PC: Bryson Nakamura 2-3, 3b; Kellen Ushijima 2b; Chad Quillopo 2b; Sugitaya 2-3. Mili: Adam Schroeder 3-5; Antolin 2-4; Travis Jones 2b, 2 RBIs; Mariano 2b.

Waianae 5, No. 6 Aiea 4

Quintin Tiapula singled in Ben McQuown for the winning run in the bottom of the seventh to give the Seariders a walk-off victory over sixth-ranked Na Alii.

Matt Vossen crushed a 3-run homer for Waianae in the fourth.

At Waianae H.S. field

Aiea (5-1)	010	010	2	--	4	5	1
Waianae (5-1)	000	301	1	--	5	9	1

Cody Aquino, Jared Iwane (6), Blaine Higa (7) and Anthony Tsui. Ben McQuown, Aina Kalaola-Meyer (7) and RJ Tacgere-Bailey. W--Kalaola-Meyer. L--Higa.

Leading hitters--Aiea: Tsui 2-3, 2b, 2 RBIs. Wain: Quintin Tiapula 2-3, 3b, RBI; Matt Vossen 1-2, HR, 3 RBIs.

Campbell 14, Waialua 0, 5 inn.

Kia Kapana and Kevin Newcomb combined to pitch a three-hitter with seven strikeouts for the Sabers.

At Campbell H.S. field

Waialua (1-5)	000	00	--	0	3	3
Campbell (3-3)	248	0x	--	14	13	1

Bryce Whitaker, Keliikoa Vierra (3) and Lokahi Herrod. Sebastian Locquiao, Kia Kapana (1), Kevin Newcomb (4) and Cameron Howser, Christian Marquez (4). W--Kapana. L--Whitaker.

Leading hitters--Waia: Kekoa Ford-Parrish 3b. Camp: Allyn Oliva-Respicio 2-2, 3 runs; Ivan Verbeckmoes 2-3; Marquez 2-3, 3b, 2 runs; Mike Miller-Raymond 2-2, 2 runs; Everett Pico 2 RBIs, 2 runs; Ryan Asuncion 2b, 2 RBIs.

Waipahu 10, Nanakuli 0, 6 inn.

Tryton Gante hurled a three-hit, six-strikeout complete game gem to lead the Marauders.

At Waipahu H.S. field

Nanakuli (0-7)	000	000	--	0	3	2
Waipahu (1-5ManM)	102	421	--	10	9	1

Respicio Lalo, Lanson Koko (4), William Eli-Kido (4), Richie Rosa (5) and Isiah Tanaka. Tryton Gante and Kaimi Haina. W--Gante. L--Lalo.

Leading hitters--Waip: Haina 2-3, 2b, 3b, 3 RBIs; Jaris Komura-Rosete 2-3, RBI; Samuel Chi 3-3, 2b, 3 RBIs; Jensen Rios 2-3, 2 RBIs.

Kapolei 12, Radford 2, 5 inn.

Michael Kahalehoe hit a two-run triple to highlight a seven-run fourth inning that the Hurricanes used to distance themselves from the Rams.

Kapolei's Kalani Omoto struck out 10 over five innings.

At Kapolei H.S. field

Radford (0-7)	002	00	--	2	2	3
Kapolei (5-2)	011	73	--	12	12	1

Brad Osborne, Nick Navarro (5) and Zach Seitz. Kalani Omoto and Oliver Taoy. W--Omoto. L--Osborne.

Leading hitters--Kap: Kalani Brackenridge 2-4, 2 RBIs, 3 runs; Aaron Santiago 2-4, 2b; Michael Kahalehoe 3-3, 2 2b, 3b, 3 RBI.