I‘m taking a break from the college scene to watch some high school baseball. ILH doubleheader at Les Murakami Stadium tonight beginning with No. 7 Saint Louis (2-3) against Punahou (1-4). Both teams in need of a win. Buffanblu got their only win of the ILH season so far against the Crusaders, a wild 13-11 affair.
No. 4 Kamehameha vs. No. 9 ‘Iolani
TOP 1: Nice 15-pitch first inning for ‘Iolani starter Bronson Ichimura, who strikes out two looking on 3-2 pitches, including catcher Kekai Rios.
BOTTOM 1: Codie Paiva gets the start for Kamehameha. Austin Jim On with a leadoff single but Pikai Winchester flies out to left and Corey Nakakura hits into a 6-4-3 double play. Nice, quick turn and hard throw at second by Micah McNicoll.
BOTTOM 2: ‘Iolani tries a hit-and-run after a one-out single on a 1-0 count and misses. Rios’ throw to second is perfect for the second out.
TOP 3: Ichimura strikes out the first two of the inning, giving him four for the game. A two-out walk to the No. 9 hitter, Micah McNicoll is followed by a pop fly by Kahoea Akau that is dropped by the first baseman, allowing a run to score. A catcher’s interference allows Matthew Yokota to reach base and Rios gets on with an infield single. Paiva hits a grounder to Winchester for the third out, who goes to second with the throw that is wide, allowing two more runners to score. Four errors in the inning by ‘Iolani.
BOTTOM 3: Paiva hits Devin Ide to lead off but Ide is thrown out at first on a quick throw from Rios, who shows off a gun. That’s the second runner the UH signee has thrown out.
TOP 4: Another ‘Iolani defensive miscue when Nakakura drops a throw from Ichimura on a sacrifice bunt. Kamehameha loads the bases on a single, error and walk for Kahoea Akau, who beats out an infield single in the hole deep at short to score a run. Matthew Yokota then works a solid eight-pitch walk, fouling off some tough pitches from Ichimura, who is done with Rios stepping to the plate. Rios beats out his second infield single to short for an RBI single. Second consecutive three-run inning for the Warriors.
TOP 5: Kody Cacal draws a leadoff walk, steals second, takes third on a wild pitch and swipes home on a double steal to make it 7-0.
BOTTOM 5: ‘Iolani gets two on with one out on a single and a walk but Paiva gets a groundout and a strikeout to end it. Three hits allowed in five scoreless for Paiva.
TOP 6: ‘Iolani is on its fifth pitcher as Kamehameha loads the bases on two walks and a hit. Raiders have walked seven batters in the game. Kamehameha with six hits with three failing to leave the infield. Make that eight walks as Henderson draws a five-pitch walk to force in a run. Makoa Mau fouls off three two-strike pitches before ripping one to right-center for a two-run double. Seventh pitcher in now for ‘Iolani. Kahoea Akau with a two-run single up the middle and gets all the way to third on a throwing error that allowed a third runner to score.
at Les Murakami Stadium
Kamehameha (4-1) 003 317 — 14 9 0
‘Iolani (2-4) 000 000 — 0 4 6
Codie Paiva, Taylor Torres (6) and Kekai Rios. Bronson Ichimura, Kaimana Bartolome (4), Austin Jim On (5), Everett Lau (6), Brandon Yanagi (6), Taylor Spencer (6) and Josh Inaba. W—Paiva. L—Ichimura.
Leading hitters—Kam: Rios 3-4, bb, RBI; Kahoea Akau 2-5, 2 runs, 3 RBIs; Makoa Mau 1-4, 2b, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Micah McNicoll 3 runs; Kody Cacal 2 runs; Brandon Henderson 2 runs; RBI.
Saint Louis vs. Punahou
TOP 1: Lefty Dawson Yamaguchi on the mound for the Crusaders. Punahou’s Jantzen Tamanaha with a slow roller to third to beat out an infield single. Buffanblu do a nice job bunting him into scoring position, but after a four-pitch walk to Noah Goss, Yamaguchi gets picked off at second. Punahou with an early mistake to waste a scoring opportunity.
BOTTOM 1: Punahou going with left-hander Kekoa Viera on the mound. Viera struggling to throw strikes early. He walks the first batter on five pitches and is behind 2-0 to Keith Torres. Torres hits a routine double-play ball to short. Tamanaha with the force out at second but his throw to first is low and gets away from Goss, allowing Torres to take second. Should have been two there. Two outs, runner on third for DH Ryder Kuhns. Viera doesn’t give in to Kuhns 2-2 and offers up two straight curveballs that are outside for a walk. Check-swing by Brendan Uchima goes to the third baseman, Easton Takamoto, who tries to throw a heater to first that is low and gets away. Crusaders get their first run on a second Punahou error and then Kuhns scores on a wild pitch. Viera walks a third batter before a fly out to right ends it. Crusaders get two runs without a hit.
TOP 2: Yamaguchi struggling with command also. Five straight balls to start the inning. Scott Nishioka then singles to shallow center. Two straight groundouts and Yamaguchi is almost out of the inning before Cole Cabrera, the No. 9 hitter, rips a two-run triple over the head of Travis Tanaka in left. Tamanaha adds an RBI single to center and the BUffanblu take the lead.
TOP 3: Scott Nishioka rips a two-out RBI double to left and Yamaguchi is done after 2 2/3 IPs. Noah Abreu in with the Buffanblu ahead 4-2 and gets Hunter Chow to ground out to second.
Yamaguchi’s final line: 2 2/3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K.
BOTTOM 3: DH Ryder Kuhns just hammered a 1-0 offering over the fence in left field. A righty going deep to left at the Les. You don’t even see that from college guys. Two-run shot ties the game. Tanaka got on with a walk before him.
BOTTOM 4: Taylor Meilleur just misses a homer out to right. Keith Torres with a two-out double inside the line in left and Viera is done. Riley Guieb in to face Tanaka. Tanaka hits a drive near the base of the wall in front of the 365-foot sign in left-center but it’s caught.
Viera’s final line: 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K.
TOP 5: Buffanblu load the bases with nobody out on a singles by Noah Goss and Allan Dong and a walk to Mason Asato. Scott Nishioka brings in the first run with a sacrifice fly to right and pinch hitter Logan Williams drills a single to right to bring in Dong. Sophomore Beau Whittaker in to pinch hit for Kai Terada-Herzer and works a 3-2 count when the courtesy runner, Parker Wong, is picked off at first. Whittaker draws a walk. Cole Cabrera with a two-out RBI single through the hole between third and short to drive in another run. Pitching change for Saint Louis. Chase Meilleur in for Abreu and gets Tamanaha to fly out to right.
Abreu’s final line: 2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K.
TOP 6: Easton Takamoto leads off with a single and Noah Goss reaches base for the third time with a second walk. Mason Asato loads the bases on a out-out single but Saint Louis’ Travis Tanaka fields a grounder at the base at third and gets the 5-3 double play. Crusaders out of it.
BOTTOM 6: Anthony Lau leads off the bottom of the sixth ripping the first pitch over the head of the right fielder for a triple. Mana Manago brings him in with an RBI groundout but that’s it.
Meilleur’s final line: 1 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.
TOP 7: Royce Hirayama is the fourth pitcher used by Saint Louis. Hirayama goes 1-2-3 and we go to the last of the seventh. Final three outs for Crusaders.
BOTTOM 7: Guieb with a leadoff walk but gets two big outs of Tanaka and Kuhns. Uchima with a grounder to first but Goss misplays it and then throws it away. Runner on second and third. Atiburcio walks to load the bases but Guieb snags a line drive by Anthony Lau. Game over.
FINAL: Punahou 7, No. 7 Saint Louis 5
at Les Murakami Stadium
Punahou (2-4) 031 030 0 — 7 12 4
Saint Louis (2-4) 202 001 0 — 5 4 2
Kekoa Viera, Riley Guieb (4) and Hunter Chow. Dawson Yamaguchi, Noah Abreu (3), Chase Meilleur (5), Royce Hirayama (7) and Taylor Meilleur. W—Guieb. L—Abreu.
Leading hitters—Pun: Cole Cabrera 2-3, 3b, run, 3 RBIs; Scott Nishioka 2-3, 2b, run, 2 RBIs; Mason Asato 1-2, 2 runs; Allan Dong 1-4, 2 runs; Jantzen Tamanaha 2-4, RBI. StL: Ryder Kuhns 1-3, HR, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Keith Torres 1-3, 2b, run; Anthony Lau 1-2, 3b, run.
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